Jazz's Will Hardy Issues Strong Statement on John Collins

The Utah Jazz head coach has liked what he's seen from John Collins so far this season.

Nov 23, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward/center John Collins (20) reacts after a basket against the New York Knicks during the first half at the Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images / Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

The Utah Jazz were able to get back on the winning side of things in their most recent outing on Saturday night as they faced off against the New York Knicks back at home, coming out on top 106-121.

The big story of the night for Utah centered around Lauri Markkanen and his second 30-point performance of the season, but another significant component of the Jazz victory came from John Collins-- as he emerged with another impressive stat line of 20 points and 13 rebounds in his 33 minutes as a starter.

In what's been a strong start to his second season in Salt Lake City, head coach Will Hardy described a bit of what he's seen from the Jazz veteran to allow for his improvements from his first year with the team.

"I think that John [Collins] has had a better understanding of how he fits with our group," Hardy said. "I think I have a better understanding of how to utilize John. There's a bunch of things that John can do on the offensive side of the ball, and I think last year, I didn't help John very much. I had him in too many different places doing too many different things. We've tried to tighten his focus on the offensive side to really try to emphasize his strengths."

During Collins's first season in Utah, there were times when Collins looked out of place and had a wonky fit with the Jazz roster, but this season has been a breath of fresh air. Since returning to the starting lineup, he's averaged 20.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals a night on 57.7% shooting from the field, 40% from three, and an impressive 21/21 clip from the free throw line.

Still thinking about this John Collins block 🚫🚫🚫 pic.twitter.com/VdvdluWWZm

— Jazz Lead (@JazzLead) November 24, 2024

"I also think that when it comes down to it, I know John is one of those guys on our team that I know I can count on every night to play really, really hard," Hardy continued. "It's not just about where he gets the ball. It's offensive rebounds, tip-ins, hustling for loose balls-- those plays are huge. So, it's a combination of a bunch of things."

"Last year, I think rightfully so, was tough for John. You're in a new place, new team, new coach, and it took me a little bit to figure out how to best utilize him, and John's been incredibly gracious through that... John, his demeanor, the way he is with his teammates every day is truly all I could ask for."

Collins will have a chance to keep building off of his weekend performance during the Jazz's next time on the floor come Tuesday night in their fourth matchup of the season vs. the San Antonio Spurs.

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