Coming into the 2021-22 season, the Utah Jazz were not a team that was projected to be competing for a title. In fact, many fans and experts thought the Jazz would be playing for the Draft lottery this season.
But with a month of games officially in the books, Utah is 11-6 with some really quality wins. And now, team GM Danny Ainge may be looking to improve his team even more.
According to the latest report from Shams Charania, Utah has targeted Hawks big man John Collins in preliminary talks.
REPORT: The Utah Jazz have “made an inquiry,” on John Collins and have “shown interest in recent weeks and months.”
https://twitter.com/LegionHoops/status/1594099202094571520
Could John Collins Make The Jazz A Real Contender?
On paper, the Jazz might not be a stunning bunch, but they have some serious firepower when you consider what they offer as a group. With guys like Markkanen, Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Jarred Vanderbilt, and even rookie big man Walker Kessler, they have a well-balanced roster full of guys who have bought into a system that maximizes their game.
Add in a guy like John Collins to the mix, and it’s easy to see how the Jazz could make some noise out West.
“I’ve been asking what kind of sample size we need for these guys to prove they are for real, and I think 10-11 games is a pretty good sample size,” said former NBA big man Thurl Bailey. “20 might be better. The road is tough anyway… but I think it’s sustainable. There are certain things you can’t control. You can’t control the health part. And you can’t control the schedule. So, I believe it is sustainable. You’ve got a well-balanced enough team. Coach Hardy’s thrown a lot of different lineups out there…”
It’s still far too early to draw any conclusions on the Jazz, but they look like a team that can be relevant all season long.
To compete in the playoffs, however, they will need something more. No matter how well they’ve looked out of the gate, it’s hard to succeed when it matters most without that top-tier superstar leading the way.
John Collins isn’t a superstar, but he could be the first step in pushing the Jazz from a good team to a great team. We will find out soon enough how it all plays out, but Utah will certainly not be the only one pursuing Collins this season.
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