The Utah Jazz, their fans, and the NBA community cherished John Collins as much as they could, as he made an unbelievable transition from a modern-day big man to a self-creation expert. Many would have folded without a traditional point guard, for example, declining statistically or requesting a trade, but Collins embraced what the Jazz did for him.
Furthermore, among traditional point guards, the most consistent support Collins could have used was from Isaiah Collier, a rookie. The USC standout played 71 games last season, shot the ball atrociously at 42.2% from the floor, but averaged 6.3 assists.
Shockingly, this assist count is the highest Collins has seen in two seasons as a Jazz, yet that simply capitalizes on how hard he worked to get to the point where he no longer needs a floor general to get buckets.
However, since he was traded with likely no say in the team that was hoping to obtain him, Collins is now in a beneficial situation with the LA Clippers next season, alongside multiple old-school style point guards.
These guys can score with the newer age groups of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards, but they have a massive playmaking-esque to their games that will help Collins in a way he has not encountered since his days were wrapped up as an Atlanta Hawk.
LA Clippers' superstar James Harden gives John Collins the elite pick-and-roll playmaker he had with the Atlanta Hawks
In Peachtree City, John Collins ran the pick-and-roll to perfection with Trae Young. This was inevitable, as Collins' bunnies collided with Young, the best passer in college basketball before entering the league after one season with the Oklahoma Sooners.
Moreover, they took off like a rocket in Young's rookie season, where Collins averaged 19.5 points and 9.8 rebounds in 2018-19, playing 61 games. The Wake Forest product had never scored so effortlessly in his life, and the pick-and-roll numbers proved it, as he posted 244 points just from setting screens and cutting aggressively to the cup.
This figure ranked 17th in the NBA, which is remarkably impressive considering he did not reach 65 games as a sophomore for the Hawks. For what it is worth, the league leader in this category was Nikola Vučević at 373 points.
That said, with the LA Clippers, Collins will flourish in a way he may want to as a big man next to James Harden and Chris Paul, particularly through the pick-and-roll setup with these made baskets being seamless.