Top NBA Prospects from the Pac-12 and How Rival Coaches See Them
Rival Coaches Provide Their Personal POVs on the Top NBA Prospects in the Pac-12's Final Season
NBA GMs and scouts often have differing views on prospects, and the same goes for scouts and coaches. A GM may take a long-term approach to scouting the draft, focusing on potential and future development. In contrast, the coaching staff often prioritizes immediate impact, as their contracts and job security are typically tied to the team's success in the near term. An off-the-record conversation with an NBA assistant coach revealed a significant disconnect between his team's front office and coaching staff regarding their evaluations of prospects for the 2024 NBA Draft.
To gain better insight into the top NBA prospects from a coaching perspective, I recently spoke with multiple assistant coaches from the Pac-12. The final season of the Pac-12 featured several top 100 NBA prospects, including projected lottery picks Isaiah Collier and Cody Williams.
These conversations provided a nuanced understanding of what coaches value in potential NBA players and how their assessments may differ from those of front-office personnel.
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Isaiah Collier - USC
Coach No. 1:
He has really broad shoulders, he’s really strong and defenders can’t knock him off his path. He’s a crafty finisher with up and unders, pump fakes and hesitations in the paint. And then he’s a pretty good distributor. Although he did turn it over a lot, I think that came from trying to do too much. But I think if he can develop into a shooter, because the shot is there and he grow into a three-level guy. He started off slow, but he has the ability to shoot from deep. I think he can definitely develop (into a shooter). It's definitely there. I think he has a good shot. But, his best attribute is obviously as a downhill driver.