Settle down, you heard the bell ring. School is in session, and the young Utah Jazz are under investigation for the state of their franchise reconstruction.
Not for their questionable rebrand, not for their wins-to-losses ratio, and not even for the state of their rebuild -- well, not exactly for that. No, this parent-teacher conference is in reference to the performance of the Jazz rookie class. Under the tutelage of head coach Will Hardy, how have the youth of Utah fared in the cutthroat world of NBA basketball?
This is the Rookie Report Card, a deep dive into the current state of Utah's rookie class that will hand out letter grades for different aspects of each player's season to this point. Nothing is spared from scrutiny, but nothing is excluded from due praise.
Putting each of Utah's first-year pros under the microscope to assess how they've performed to this point in the 2024-25 season, this report card will deliver a verdict for each player's perceived potential.
Let us begin.
Cody Williams - Wing
Measurements: 6'7" 190 lbs
Age: 20 years old
College: Colorado
Williams is a fascinating case for the Jazz. Selected 10th overall in the admittedly weak 2024 draft class, the Colorado product and brother of All-Star Jalen Williams was a McDonald's All-American in high school whose timid nature has exposed key flaws to his game both in college and high school.
A sharpshooter with the Buffaloes with perceived potential for growth, Williams fell to Utah with the chance to deliver on the big stage.
It has been rough so far for the wing. Too string bean-esque to fight through contact, too timid to expose flaws in the defense, and too undersized to be a true defensive stopper at this point, Williams' greatest flaws lie in his nature and size.
His talent level is not the issue, and this may be a controversial take at the moment.
If Williams can build onto his frame and become a true two-way contributor, his potential on an NBA floor is much greater than given credit for, and we're seeing flashes of this in higher frequency as the season progresses. He's shooting 43.8 percent from long range this month, for heaven's sake.
Production: D+
Development: C+
Star Potential: B
Offensive Upside: B
Defensive Upside: A-
Isaiah Collier - Guard
Measurements: 6'3" 210 lbs
Age: 20 years old
College: USC
Collier's slide to Utah with the 29th pick was unbelievable at the time and remains unbelievable to this day. A player projected in the lottery for most of the college season, Collier's inability to score the basketball via jump shot was concerning to 29 NBA organizations.
Utah was happy to take a chance on the USC Trojan, and the payoff has been tremendous.
The February Western Conference Rookie of the Month for his matured playmaking skill set, Collier has emerged as a gifted passer in this Jazz rotation, and truly took off once entering the starting lineup.
His scoring ability remains questionable, and he may never become a true threat to fill it up in that regard, but Collier possesses an elite NBA skill, and that's worth celebrating.
Production: B+
Development: A-
Star Potential: B
Offensive Upside: B+
Defensive Upside: B-
Kyle Filipowski - Big
Measurements: 6'11" 250 lbs
Age: 21 years old
College: Duke
Filipowski, like his teammate Collier, slipped in the draft for questionable reasons. Utah was happy to take a chance on the proven collegiate standout from Duke. He hasn't skipped a beat in the transition from ACC to NBA.
The best all-around rookie in this class for the Jazz, Filipowski has proved capable of scoring, rebounding, and shot-creating in his role on Will Hardy's roster. An impressive player and dynamic for his size, Filipowski's professional upside still gives him plenty of room to grow, but mainly on the offensive end.
And truthfully, his ceiling is perceivably lower than his fellow rookie running mates in Williams and Collier if all players' maximum potential were measured comparatively. Skilled offensively, though lacking the athleticism and creativity necessary to become a true star, Filipowski was a great pick for his place in the draft with a long NBA career ahead of him.
Production: B+
Development: B
Star Potential: C
Offensive Upside: B+
Defensive Upside: C-
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This story was originally published March 11, 2025 at 5:00 PM.