Jazz F John Collins Unveils His Biggest Area of Growth Last Season

The Utah Jazz big man sounded off on his first year in Salt Lake City.

Mar 27, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward John Collins (20) warms up before a game / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

After spending the first six years of his NBA career with the Atlanta Hawks, forward John Collins finally received a change of scenery during the 2023 offseason with a trade to the Utah Jazz. By sending a low-risk package of Rudy Gay and a future second-round pick to Atlanta, the Jazz managed to secure the services of Collins in a move that effectively gave the Wake Forest product a breath of fresh air.

And after his first season with the team, it's fair to assume that the Jazz have come out as winners so far in this deal. Collins started within Utah's frontcourt in all but two of the games he appeared in this year, producing solid numbers and having a significant role on both sides of the ball, all while showcasing some significant growth as a player.

During Collins' end-of-season presser, he was asked on where he felt he grew the most across the past year in Utah, describing his improved ability to be a more dynamic shot creator.

"For me, I feel like my ability to not just score, but create in different ways," Collins said. "I was blessed to play with a lot of good ball handers like Trae [Young], Lou [Williams], [Dejounte Murray]. I know I'm probably forgetting a couple of guys down there, but I had the chance to play with a lot of good guards. And for me being here, not necessarily having that pocket play ,or the consistency of lobs, and just forcing me to play a different style of basketball, I feel like that's helped me grow."

The numbers don't lie. Across the 2023-24 season, Collins averaged improved numbers in scoring (13.1-15.1 PPG), FG% (50.8-53.2), and 3P% (29.2-37.1) from his previous year in Atlanta, all while doing it in fewer minutes per game (30.0-28.0).

"Obviously, I feel like my heart, my passion, my rebounding, my leadership, all that stuff is great," Collins said. "But, just figuring out ways to produce on the court has been big for me, and hopefully that continues to grow."

In a year full of adjustment for this young Jazz roster, Collins showed out as a pleasant surprise in his role as a veteran and consistent producer in the frontcourt.

After one season in the books and a complete summer on the horizon for JC in Utah, there's a real chance more could be a bit in store as he goes into year two with the Jazz.