John Collins Starts Season Strong Despite Loss in Jazz Debut vs. Kings

The Utah Jazz summer addition made his mark in his season debut against the Sacramento Kings.

While the Utah Jazz falling in their regular season opener wasn’t the ideal way to begin the year, there were still a few positives to take away from their 114-130 loss to the Sacramento Kings. In a first game where it would be common to see some rust on some players, F John Collins seemed like he had not lost a step.

Collins posted 15 points, a team-high 11 rebounds, two assists, and a steal while shooting 54.5% from the field on the night. He also shot three shots from beyond the arc, draining one, proving to have some potential to be a perimeter threat through the course of the season, despite what his statistics tell you from a season ago.

John Collins vs Sacramento Kings

15 PTS
11 REB
2 AST
1 STL
6/11 FG#TakeNote L pic.twitter.com/Zlw82R2drI

— A Walking Highlight (@11AWH) October 26, 2023

Because Walker Kessler saw limited minutes during his debut (22), it came down to Collins and All-Star F Lauri Markkanen to control the boards, grabbing a combined 21 in the contest. It led one of the rare bright spots on the stat sheet, as the Jazz won the rebound battle 54-45.

Without playing extensive minutes next to Kessler, it might be difficult to picture if and how Collins can maintain this production once there is more consistency within the lineup. Ultimately, it may come down to John's ability to stretch the floor and knock down more perimeter shots to open up the paint.

However, with a couple of exciting slams on the night and doing some significant work on the boards, it’s hard to complain about what we’ve seen so far. It is extremely early, but for the small price of Rudy Gay and a second-rounder, this move continues to present some great value.

Collins will have the chance to build off his performance on Friday, October 27th, when the Los Angeles Clippers come to town, fresh off of a win against the Portland Trail Blazers.

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