John Collins could finally become for the Utah Jazz what everyone thought he would with the Atlanta Hawks.
John Collins is a man with many supporters. The new Utah Jazz forward is looking to rebound from an injury-plagued year with the Atlanta Hawks, that saw his ’22-23 stats take a dive. Now, on a new team where he isn’t having to make room for Trae Young, Collins is someone that many expect to break out. Or, as David Aldridge of The Athletic put it, have a “renaissance”.
Writing in his recent article, (via Sports Illustrated), Aldridge hypes up the soon-to-be 26-year-old, by comparing him to a “B+” free agent signing, saying;
"I’m putting Collins down for a renaissance in the Wasatch, getting back to the form he displayed his first couple of seasons in Atlanta. At his still-reasonable cap number, that would be like a B-plus free-agent pickup for Utah."
Aldridge isn’t wrong in his review of the acquisition. Had he been signed by the Jazz, he would’ve been one of the better, and higher-rated free agents on the market. The fact the Jazz got him for essentially Rudy Gay really highlights how much of a bargain he was. Sure, a second-round pick was thrown into the deal as well, but second-rounders rarely develop.
Even if Collins doesn’t return to his 20-point-per-game ways, his ’22-’23 self is still an upgrade over Gay, and the Jazz are now in a position to better defend and attack the interior as opposed to last year.
He’s going to be his best defensive self playing in front of and next to Walker Kessler, and considering how far Lauri Markkanen has come, Collins may become a much better three-point shooter with the key defenders looking to slow down the man dubbed “The Finnisher”.
Collins should have a big year for the Jazz.