After months of transfer rumors concerning him, John Collins finally left Atlanta this summer, to join his Utah natal for free or almost, in exchange for Rudy Gay and a second round of Draft.
The Hawks’ goal? Downsize financially, and undoubtedly also put an end to months of unease within the club, where the interior was constantly in transfer rumors. More broadly, last season quite simply marked the end of a cycle in Georgia for the former Wake Forest man, who no longer found himself on the boards and had finally signed the weakest season of his career on the statistical plan since his rookie year.
So, unsurprisingly, when heading into his first training camp with his new team in Salt Lake City, John Collins doesn’t hide the fact that he is relieved to have finally moved on…
“ Somehow I feel like a rookie again “, he admits. “ A new staff, new teammates, a new environment and a new city… »
A resentful John Collins
But what “The Baptist” appreciates more than anything? “ The absence of egos in this locker room », he says, the barely hidden desire to gently tackle his former training. “ It’s refreshing to have a group of guys who really focus on the collective and really push themselves to do it; it’s nice to see. It’s exciting for me to be there, and you know, it helps me wake up in the morning motivated to go play. »
Obviously, John Collins remains particularly bitter about the way his adventure in Atlanta ended, and he says he can’t wait for the reunion…
“ It’s definitely circled on my calendar. For sure. Honestly, I’m already thinking about what I’m going to do when I get there “, he assures, in fact, about this season’s Hawks/Jazz.
The priority: coming to terms with your shooting
Furthermore, John Collins also expanded on a slightly more substantive subject: his role with Jazz. Undoubtedly a starter on the frontcourt, between Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler, the 26-year-old power forward says he is excited to join a new team, coming out of the weakest season of his career in terms of shooting success ( 51%, including 29% at 3-pts).
“ I tried to do everything I could to stay efficient and productive. Sometimes things don’t work out, for whatever reason. I felt like I was doing a good job. But you know, when your usage rate drops lower than it was in your rookie year, I think that says a lot », he regrets, before giving way to optimism. “ Coach Will [Hardy] emphasizes a different way of playing basketball. I am satisfied because I feel that the energy with which I play on the pitch will be rewarded in the best possible way. The coach made it clear to me that there would be space and opportunities for me to develop as I want on the pitch. »
In this case, it will above all be a question for John Collins of adjusting the sights behind the 3-point line again, after this 2022/23 campaign with 29% success in the exercise. “ Obviously I can », he exclaims, when asked if he can return to better standards (36% on 3 shots in his career, and in particular a 2019/20 season at 40% on 4 shots).
“ When your role changes, there is a period of adaptation. Suddenly I wasn’t shooting as much [à Atlanta]and now I have to learn again to take a certain volume of shots », He concludes, decidedly critical of its use with the Hawks last season. “ I went back to the coals and worked on my game. …I’m just thinking about stacking up the reps and getting as many shots as possible. »
| John Collins | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2017-18 | ATL | 74 | 24 | 57.6 | 34.0 | 71.5 | 2.4 | 4.9 | 7.3 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 10.5 |
| 2018-19 | ATL | 61 | 30 | 56.0 | 34.8 | 76.3 | 3.6 | 6.2 | 9.8 | 2.0 | 3.3 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 19.5 |
| 2019-20 | ATL | 41 | 33 | 58.3 | 40.1 | 80.0 | 2.8 | 7.3 | 10.2 | 1.5 | 3.4 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 21.6 |
| 2020-21 | ATL | 63 | 29 | 55.6 | 39.9 | 83.3 | 1.9 | 5.5 | 7.4 | 1.2 | 3.1 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 17.6 |
| 2021-22 | ATL | 54 | 31 | 52.6 | 36.4 | 79.3 | 1.7 | 6.1 | 7.8 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 16.2 |
| 2022-23 | ATL | 71 | 30 | 50.8 | 29.2 | 80.3 | 1.1 | 5.4 | 6.5 | 1.2 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 13.1 |
| Total | 364 | 29 | 55.1 | 35.6 | 78.3 | 2.2 | 5.8 | 8.0 | 1.5 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 15.9 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
