In two regular seasons and 108 games played, John Collins gave the Utah Jazz all he could. He had countless ups and very few downs, which is why a majority of the Jazz fan base still has love for Collins, as he was responsible for several of their wins.
For the LA Clippers, Collins will be crucial to the number of regular-season games won. However, at the end of the day, what he produces in the postseason will shape his legacy in LA, which is currently set to last only one season unless an extension is agreed to.
Moreover, Collins did not visit the playoffs with the Jazz, meaning his most recent experience was years ago with the Atlanta Hawks. He had three total runs, yet the first of his career was his best, and that took fans of the Peachtree City to the Eastern Conference Finals, their first since 2015.
His following two runs demonstrated a drop-off in statistics and performance, contributing to why it became necessary for the Hawks to trade Collins, but to the right destination, such as the Jazz, where he could gain exposure as a top option, even if the environment is centered around rebuilding for the future.
That said, although Collins was a fan favorite for the Hawks, his inconsistency is an aspect the fan base will not forget, leading to a realization that the Clippers will inevitably come to.
John Collins’ postseason inconsistency will return in a way that haunts the LA Clippers
Looking strictly at his regular-season averages, John Collins has been fantastic throughout his career. He will bring back flashbacks to fans of the LA Clippers, who remember Blake Griffin, the last athletically inclined true power forward the fan base had, who loved to put opponents on posters.
Yet, the Clippers essentially traded Norman Powell for Collins, who was not good in the 2022-23 postseason, his most recent. He averaged 11.3 points and 4.3 rebounds, shooting 43.3% from the floor and 34.4% from a distance.
Digging deeper into the facts, Collins had a three-game stretch, from two through four, where he did not score over ten points. In the same span, he shot 6-27 from the field and 4-18 from three-point land.
That said, not only could losing Powell and bringing in Collins be regarded as a downgrade, but simultaneously, the Clippers will realize why he was on the trade block after the 2022-23 season, when Atlanta lost to the Boston Celtics in six games.