Utah
John Collins Is Having An Offensive Resurgence In Utah
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – NOVEMBER 04: John Collins #20 of the Utah Jazz dunks over Coby White #0 of the … More
As the regular season is slowly wrapping up, it’s time to look at some players – and teams – who won’t be participating in the NBA Playoffs.
John Collins is about to end his second season with the Utah Jazz, if he hasn’t already. The 6’9 forward is out with an ankle injury and hasn’t played since March 12th. While he’s practicing with the team, no official word has yet come in regards to his return.
The former Hawks forward has seen a bit of a career resurgence, in terms of offensive volume, despite being in and out of the lineup all year due to injuries, being limited to 40 games so far.
Getting back to scoring
Collins, who used to run the floor with Trae Young, had plenty of solid seasons in Atlanta, including one in which he averaged over 21 points and 10 rebounds, all while canning over 58% of his shots, including 40.1% from downtown.
To many, Collins looked like a future All-Star who would practically sleepwalk his way into a steady 20/10 line for as long as he played next to Young.
Instead, Collins saw his numbers decline – and heavily so – during the following three years with the Hawks, to point where his last season with the franchise saw him score just 13.1 points per game, and be viewed as a complete afterthought within the offense.
In 2023, Collins was moved to Utah, and while he saw just a modest uptick in scoring last season, he’s come back into the swing of things this year when he’s been available.
Collins is averaging 19 points per game, and is draining 39.9% of his three-point attempts, while seeing an uptick in free throw attempts.
The 27-year-old has admittedly played on a team in which top-tier talent hasn’t been particularly available, but that’s sprinkled in a new, and interesting, pattern of self-creation.
Collins has never created more shots off his own afford as he has this season, with only 64.7% of his two’s being assisted, compared to previous seasons where that number has found itself in the high 70’s.
Yes, the sample size is smaller than you’d want it to be, and spread out over just half a season, but that’s where the numbers and eye-test go hand-in-hand.
Collins is finding more gaps in the defense than before, and looks far more comfortable putting the ball on the floor than ever before.
This breaks a pattern of him being almost exclusively a play finisher, which was the case in Atlanta.
What does this mean for his future?
As far as Collins’ future goes, it’s tough to say. Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler are still around in Utah, and eventually Taylor Hendricks will make his return from a fractured right fibula.
That means more competition for the big man minutes, and with Utah likely having an eye on the future, Collins could find himself as the odd man out.
He’s attached to a contract which compensates him at a rate of $26.5 million in 2025-2026, assuming he picks up his player option.
After the season he’s having, in regards to finding his own rhythm again, it’s not a forgone conclusion he picks it up, although the market almost dictates a need to do so, with so few teams projecting to have any meaningful cap space.
Perhaps the Jazz would like him to stick, or perhaps Collins and them agree to find a trade that makes sense for both parties.
Regardless of the outcome, Collins certainly used his opportunity this year to make some much-need, and long-awaited, noise for himself.
Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
Utah
Utah man dies of injuries sustained in avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A man died after he was caught in an avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon over the weekend.
A spokesperson for the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Thursday that Kevin Williams, 57, had died.
He, along with one other person, was hospitalized in critical condition after Saturday’s avalanche in the backcountry.
MORE | Big Cottonwood Canyon Avalanche
In an interview with 2News earlier this week, one of Williams’ close friends, Nate Burbidge, described him as a loving family man.
“Kevin’s an amazing guy. He’s always serving, looking for ways that he can connect with others,” Burbidge said.
A GoFundMe was set up to help support Williams’ family.
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Utah
911 recordings detail hours leading up to discovery of Utah girl, mother dead in Las Vegas
CONTENT WARNING: This report discusses suicide and includes descriptions of audio from 911 calls that some viewers may find disturbing.
LAS VEGAS — Exclusively obtained 911 recordings detail the hours leading up to the discovery of an 11-year-old Utah girl and her mother dead inside a Las Vegas hotel room in an apparent murder-suicide.
Addi Smith and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, lived in West Jordan and had traveled to Nevada for the JAMZ cheerleading competition.
The calls show a growing sense of urgency from family members and coaches, and several hours passing before relatives learned what happened.
MORE | Murder-Suicide
Below is a timeline of the key moments, according to dispatch records. All times are Pacific Time.
10:33 a.m. — Call 1
After Addi and her mother failed to appear at the cheerleading competition, Addi’s father and stepmother called dispatch for a welfare check.
Addi and her mother were staying at the Rio hotel. The father told dispatch that hotel security had already attempted contact.
“Security went up and knocked on the door. There’s no answer or response it doesn’t look like they checked out or anything…”
11:18 a.m. and 11:27 a.m. — Calls 2 and 3
As concern grew, Addi’s coach contacted the police two times within minutes.
“We think the child possibly is in imminent danger…”
11:26 a.m. — Call 4
Addi’s stepmother placed another call to dispatch, expressing escalating concern.
“We are extremely concerned we believe that something might have seriously happened.”
She said that Tawnia’s car was still at the hotel.
Police indicated officers were on the way.
2:26 p.m. — Call 5
Nearly three hours after the initial welfare check request, fire personnel were en route to the scene. It appeared they had been in contact with hotel security.
Fire told police that they were responding to a possible suicide.
“They found a note on the door.”
2:35 p.m. — Call 6
Emergency medical personnel at the scene told police they had located two victims.
“It’s going to be gunshot wound to the head for both patients with notes”
A dispatcher responded:
“Oh my goodness that’s not okay.”
2:36 p.m. — Call 7
Moments later, fire personnel relayed their assessment to law enforcement:
“It’s going to be a murder suicide, a juvenile and a mother.”
2:39 p.m. — Call 8
Unaware of what had been discovered, Addi’s father called dispatch again.
“I’m trying to file a missing persons report for my daughter.”
He repeats the details he knows for the second time.
3:13 p.m. — Call 9
Father and stepmother call again seeking information and continue to press for answers.
“We just need some information. There was a room check done around 3:00 we really don’t know where to start with all of this Can we have them call us back immediately?”
Dispatch responded:
“As soon as there’s a free officer, we’ll have them reach out to you.”
4:05 p.m. — Call 10
More than an hour later, Addi’s father was put in contact with the police on the scene. He pleaded for immediate action.
“I need someone there I need someone there looking in that room”
The officer confirmed that they had officers currently in the room.
Addi’s father asks again what they found, if Addi and her mother are there, and if their things were missing.
The officer, who was not on scene, said he had received limited information.
5:23 p.m. — Call 11
Nearly seven hours after the first welfare check request, Addi’s grandmother contacted police, describing conflicting information circulating within the family.
“Some people are telling us that they were able to get in, and they were not in the hotel room, and other people saying they were not able to get in the hotel room, and we need to know”
She repeated the details of the case. Dispatch said officers will call her back once they have more information.
Around 8:00 p.m. — Press Conference
Later that evening, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police held a news conference confirming that Addi and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, were found dead inside the hotel room.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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Utah
Ban on AI glasses in Utah classrooms inches closer to passing
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — AI glasses could allow you to get answers, snap photos, access audio and take phone calls—and now a proposal moving through the legislature would ban the glasses from Utah school classrooms.
“I think it’s a great idea,” said Kizzy Guyton Murphy, a mother who accompanied her child’s class on a field trip to the state Capitol on Wednesday. “You can’t see inside what the student is looking at, and it’s just grounds for cheating.”
Mom Tristan Davies Seamons also sees trouble with AI glasses.
“I don’t think they should have any more technology in schools than they currently have,” she said.
Her twin daughters, fourth graders Finley and Grayson, don’t have cell phones yet.
“Not until we’re like 14,” said Grayson, adding they do have Chromebooks in school.
2News sent questions to the Utah State Board of Education:
- Does it have reports of students using AI glasses?
- Does it see cheating and privacy as major concerns?
- Does it support a ban from classrooms?
Matt Winters, USBE AI specialist, said the board has not received reports from school districts of students with AI glasses.
“Local Education Agencies (school districts) have local control over these decisions based on current law and code,” said Winters. “The Board has not taken a position on AI glasses.
MORE | Utah State Legislature:
Some districts across the country have reportedly put restrictions on the glasses in schools.
“I think it should be up to the teachers,” said Briauna Later, another mother who is all for preventing cheating, but senses a ban could leave administrators with tired eyes.
“It’s one more thing for the administration to have to keep track of,” said Later.
The proposal, HB 42, passed the House and cleared a Senate committee on Wednesday.
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