The All-Rookie teams were announced today, and Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski of the Utah Jazz were not on the lists.
The closest Jazzman was Isaiah Collier, who missed the cut by 1 point.
It’s a disappointing finish to a season that has had many disappointing finishes. Collier and Filipowski both had very impressive seasons, but it was likely the inconsistent play time that got them.
In a situation like this, if you’re going to say someone was snubbed, then you have to pick which player you would replace. The easy answer is Bub Carrington from the Washington Wizards.
Carrington shot 40% from the field and 33% from three with a split of 9.8 pts, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. Meanwhile, Coller ended the season shooting 42% from the field, 24% from three, with a split of 8.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists. Collier was likely hurt from a dreadful first month of the season, where his shooting and playing time were dismal. But Collier improved every month and was even named Rookie of the Month in February. It’s a little bizarre to win Rookie of the Month and not make either All-Rookie team or the Rising Stars Challenge, but it is what it is. Carrington very much benefited from consistent playing time all season. Had Collier and Filipowski had the same advantage, you’ld likely see one of them on this team.
Filipowski had a strong case himself. He was impressive, shooting 50% from the field and 35% from three. At times, Filipowski was very strong for the Jazz, looking like a veteran. His offense was surprisingly good at times. For example, he was near 40% 3-point shooting until he hit a slump in the last month of the season.
You can only hope that Filipowski and Collier will use this as motivation as they embark on their sophomore seasons. They both have great potential, and there’s no reason they can’t develop into impressive players for years to come.