John Collins
Man, we had high hopes for John Collins. When he was with the Atlanta Hawks, the man seemed to have an unlimited ceiling and a high enough floor that if he didn't live up to expectations, he could still be a championship's team fifth starter. Now, however, his reputation is beyond repair. As with Jordann Clarkson, there is still a place in the NBA for Collins. That place, however, is coming off the bench, maybe as a sixth man, and making a lot less than he's currently making.
Collins is a good enough offensive player to succeed in the NBA and he's arguably the third-best offensive player the team has behind Lauri Markkanen at one, and then Collin Sexton. He's not a bad offensive player by any means and he's a nice compliment. But on defense, he plays like he's lost in a forest of mysteries and wonder. He's star-struck far too often and while he isn't afraid to go up and meet other bigs in the air, Collins doesn't have the physicality needed down low to clear guys off the block.
Playing him as the team's center, as the Jazz have done in recent weeks, has really shown just how lacking he is. He's an offensive upgrade over rookie Taylor Hendricks, but Hendricks has shown to be more physical and capable of defending on the perimeter, a place where Collins gets flat-footed. Hendricks has a long way to go, but defensively, he may be one of the more impressive young players the team has.
Collins, not so much.