• John Collins has called out the Hawks for stunting his growth
• Collins said this in a thank you message to the fans on Instagram
• He was traded to the Utah Jazz this summer
John Collins has finally addressed his summer trade away from the Atlanta Hawks after a trade saga that seemingly spanned years. Collins will be playing for the Utah Jazz in 2023-24 and issued a final message to the Hawks on his Instagram.
After thanking the organization for everything they did for him, he bluntly said that his growth has been stunted on the team and it’s best for him to fly away.
“To the organization: thank you for sticking with me, even at my lowest. Thank you for allowing me a place to grow. But as I see it, it is this hawk’s time to fly away from the nest. As my growth here is being stunted.”
Collins’ post was very respectful overall, but the comments about his growth came from out of nowhere. The Hawks initially planned to build around a Trae Young and Collins duo and gave him a five-year, $125 million contract.
His numbers have gradually worsened over the last three seasons, as the Hawks kept trying to trade him away and focus on building around Young. A fresh start in Utah will be the best for him.
John Collins’ Time With The Hawks Had Ups And Downs
John Collins was supposed to be the new-age Blake Griffin with his explosive dunking prowess coupled with the ability to shoot threes. While Collins was never going to peak as high as Griffin, his usability in the modern NBA excited the Hawks a lot.
His best season came in 2019-20, where he averaged 21.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks. He also shot 40% from three that season, establishing himself as one of the brightest stars in the NBA.
Unfortunately, we haven’t seen that version of Collins again as his numbers have gotten worse with every passing season. This is what prompted the Hawks to start checking the market for him, a saga that started in winter 2021 and ended this offseason.
Even with his declining numbers, averaging 13.1 points and 6.5 rebounds last season compared to his 2020 high, there is a lot of upside to be found. He is turning 26 years old this week and can rebound with the Jazz in a frontcourt alongside Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler. He’ll have to be careful though, as 2023 Draft No. 8 pick Taylor Hendricks will look to solidify himself as the starting power forward of the franchise.
The Atlanta Hawks Are Stuck In The Middle
The Atlanta Hawks looked like one of the most promising teams in the Eastern Conference after their run to the Conference Finals in 2021. Unfortunately, they have been a first-round exit in the next two seasons without even looking competitive.
Trae Young has a massive cross to bear in this situation. His playoff drops have severely hurt the Hawks’ competitive chances. He averaged 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists on 31.9% shooting in a five-game series loss to the Miami Heat in the 2022 Playoffs.
He fared better in the 2023 playoffs, forcing the Celtics to six games in the first round and averaging 29.2 points and 10.2 assists. Even though the counting stats look good, Young shot 40.3% from the field during the series. Chucking shots won’t lead to wins and the Hawks need to figure out what will return them to their 2021 peak.
Most of their draft assets are tied up in the Dejounte Murray trade, but at least they re-signed Murray to a team-friendly contract extension. The team is desperately trying to trade for Pascal Siakam and that may be the move that returns them to contention in the East. If they run their current roster out for another season, they are in for a rude awakening.
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