Over the course of tonight’s game against the Utah Jazz, the season opener for the LA Clippers, John Collins came off the bench, which was expected after the preseason, and recorded 14 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks, shooting 50% from the floor. Given that his 28 minutes of action took place in front of the Utah crowd, the Jazz’s front office had to have been paying attention, ultimately regretting their decision to trade him to the Clippers.
Collins showed all preseason that he had been preparing for the regular season, but particularly this game, which so happened to be the Clippers’ first. Thus, his domination against Utah was not just statistically, but in the eye-test as well.
His excellent start was great, but the Clippers had other issues preventing them from grabbing the lead. Multiple players were never fully on the same page, and it caused a disastrous loss, which is the worst way to begin a regular season.
If the Jazz could turn back time before the trade of John Collins, there is no doubt they would
Being traded is a long, meticulous process, and despite this, the Utah Jazz still dealt John Collins, who was one of the few players on their squad last season, trying his best to win games.
Last season, Collins averaged numbers extremely close to a 20-point double-double at 19.0 points and 8.2 rebounds, shooting ridiculously efficient splits from the field. The LA Clippers knew they received a star, and the Jazz knew they were giving one up, yet the trade still went down.
Additionally, some of the best games of his career were with the Jazz, like when he recorded a career high of six blocks on March 4th, 2024, in the win against the Washington Wizards, or 18 rebounds on February 22nd, 2024.
Nonetheless, on the opening night for both squads, Collins was everywhere on both sides of the ball. He was active, playing just as Tyronn Lue and Jeff Van Gundy desired, which simply made his numbers look even better.
However, a loss is a loss, and the Clippers, as a team, need to do better. On the flip side, Collins was one of the few who seemed motivated, so as long as he maintains or surpasses his current pace, LA could win their contest on Friday against the Phoenix Suns, splitting their first two games of the year.