Collins

[BoomChakaLaka]

While I am in the party that thinks Speed is way over-stating the impact that missing Zach has had on the team, I think a lot of people are combining two different issues here.

Zach, if anything, was a very high IQ player, with surprisingly quick feet and hands. Did he make rookie level mistakes? Yeah (but I suspect some of that is reputation based. I.e., he's young, unknown and a big goofy white kid). But the guy also made a lot of quick decision blocks and smart choices that were really lacking on this years team.

But at the same time, he's missed basically the last 2 seasons. So it's understandable why people are a little leery of supporting him, etc., especially considering the absolute waste of a career that Meyers Lemon had.

I think Zach, assuming he has his injury issues behind him, definitely has a role on the team. Could be a starter, could be a the backup PF/C (I'd take his defense with his offensive skills over Kanters offensive skills and lack of defense awareness/effort).

He's not a slow, plodding player. I just hope his injury issues are a thing of the past.

I'd rather have Dame, Powell, Roco, (healthy) Collins and Nurk as the starting 5 next year, with a backup PG, Ant, Little/Jones and Kanter as the backup C.

Hopefully the backup PG is who they trade CJ for (+ picks...hey, a guy can dream).

I’d rather sign Kanter for 2 years / $6 million per than to take chances on Collins. We should not pay him more than $6 / year - it’s just not worth paying a cheerleader that kind of money

 

[Pinwheel1]

I would take a healthy Collins’ shot blocking over Kanters offensive rebounding. Rim protectors are truly one of the most underrated aspects of the NBA game

That's a tough one. Shot blocking and shot altering are important. But he needs to be a better rebounder as well. And he needs to stay out of foul trouble. For a guy with a high BB IQ he made a lot of mistakes. But he was young at that point. If Zach can stay healthy then I think he will improve in every area.

 

[jlprk]

I’d rather sign Kanter for 2 years / $6 million per than to take chances on Collins. We should not pay him more than $6 / year - it’s just not worth paying a cheerleader that kind of money

The $6 million is for Kanter. Collins, the cheerleader, is worth less.

 

[e_blazer]

I’d rather sign Kanter for 2 years / $6 million per than to take chances on Collins. We should not pay him more than $6 / year - it’s just not worth paying a cheerleader that kind of money

Kanter is totally worthless in the playoffs due to his inability to defend. I love the guy for his attitude and his rebounding and offensive skills, but I think it’s time to move on from him…just like every other contending team that he was on before has decided to do.

 

[e_blazer]

I would take a healthy Collins’ shot blocking over Kanters offensive rebounding. Rim protectors are truly one of the most underrated aspects of the NBA game

Agree, though I do think that Zach will improve as a rebounder with his added bulk. People who are writing him off because of his injuries are premature, in my opinion. Dame and CJ have both dealt with broken feet…CJ twice. A repaired and rehabbed shoulder is not a risk for a repeated injury. I expect that Olshey will re-sign Zach to a one-year prove it deal.

 

[Hoopguru]

Rashaun Holmes is the kind of back up center we need. He can even start against smaller line-ups.

 

[James lamphear]

That's a tough one. Shot blocking and shot altering are important. But he needs to be a better rebounder as well. And he needs to stay out of foul trouble. For a guy with a high BB IQ he made a lot of mistakes. But he was young at that point. If Zach can stay healthy then I think he will improve in every area.

He has improved his rebounding every year.

 

[Hoopguru]

I would once he starts scrimmaging we will have a better idea if he's progressed, matured both game and body. He's going to earn whatever he gets next and to come.

 

[wizenheimer]

He has improved his rebounding every year.

not really. He dropped last season from the season before....tiny sample size though

still, a 12.2% rebounding rate for a C/PF is pretty poor. He's a weak rebounder so far in his career

 

[jlprk]

Zach, if anything, was a very high IQ player

I saw no high BBIQ. Maybe you misspelled "white."

 

[GDiama]

I'm surprised in 2 pages of posts nobody has mentioned the 8-3 record we had with him beginning of last season. This is usually the main argument in favor of Zach. Not his bad mobility and his below average shooting for a PF

 

[Mediocre Man]

I'm surprised in 2 pages of posts nobody has mentioned the 8-3 record we had with him beginning of last season. This is usually the main argument in favor of Zach. Not his bad mobility and his below average shooting for a PF

Please don’t encourage them.

 

[ebott]

I saw no high BBIQ. Maybe you misspelled "white."

OH SNAP!!!!

I am fine with bringing Zach back as long as we're not bidding against ourselves. If someone else offers him fifteen per and we match I'm OK with that. In a worse case scenario, we pull a Crabbe and trade him to that team a year later.

But if we just strait up offer him ten per imma be pissed. I want proof that a other team is willing to pay a guy. If I were an NBA gm I would never offer an RFA a contract. I would always tell them to go get something from another team and see if I thought it was worth matching.

 

[wizenheimer]

OH SNAP!!!!

I am fine with bringing Zach back as long as we're not bidding against ourselves. If someone else offers him fifteen per and we match I'm OK with that. In a worse case scenario, we pull a Crabbe and trade him to that team a year later.

But if we just strait up offer him ten per imma be pissed. I want proof that a other team is willing to pay a guy. If I were an NBA gm I would never offer an RFA a contract. I would always tell them to go get something from another team and see if I thought it was worth matching.

wait...you're ok with paying Zach 15M/year...?? Yikes!! and you're glossing over the Crabbe "worst-case scenario". The real world scenario was that Portland paid Crabbe about 38M for 1 season, then ended up with a 2.85M/year encumbrance on their cap for 7 long fucking years

but that's what happens when you sign a player to a stupidly ugly albatross contract, and it's fairly certain that's what paying Zach 15M/year would be

IMO, Zach's value right now should be about a 2 year contract at 5M/year with a team option for the 2nd season. and I think that option is more important than the annual salary

 

[Hoopguru]

wait...you're ok with paying Zach 15M/year...?? Yikes!! and you're glossing over the Crabbe "worst-case scenario". The real world scenario was that Portland paid Crabbe about 38M for 1 season, then ended up with a 2.85M/year encumbrance on their cap for 7 long fucking years

but that's what happens when you sign a player to a stupidly ugly albatross contract, and it's fairly certain that's what paying Zach 15M/year would be

IMO, Zach's value right now should be about a 2 year contract at 5M/year with a team option for the 2nd season. and I think that option is more important than the annual salary

talk about bad contacts, look at,t John Walls, Rus Westbrook and yes even Rudy G's.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

If Zach gets offered 10 million a season let him walk. 15 then run.

Same idiots wanting to pay Zach as said we had to keep Meyers at any cost even a max contract since he was a 50/40/90 player just like Dirk...

I'm all for seeing what Zach does on a qualifying offer, it would be nice for him to finally get healthy and improve.

But it also would've been nice to see Oden finally have a productive season. Never happened.

Zach doesn't have one season as a rotational NBA player. Giving him a multi year deal is stupid.

 

[James lamphear]

If Zach gets offered 10 million a season let him walk. 15 then run.

Same idiots wanting to pay Zach as said we had to keep Meyers at any cost even a max contract since he was a 50/40/90 player just like Dirk...

I'm all for seeing what Zach does on a qualifying offer, it would be nice for him to finally get healthy and improve.

But it also would've been nice to see Oden finally have a productive season. Never happened.

Zach doesn't have one season as a rotational NBA player. Giving him a multi year deal is stupid.

He play 66 games 15.8 minutes his rookie year and 77 games 17.8 minutes his 2nd year I consider that's rotation player.

 

[ebott]

wait...you're ok with paying Zach 15M/year...??

Yeah, you're probably right about that. The numbers in my example were very bad. The real point is I am sick of NO bidding against himself. Let the market set his amount and then look real critically at whether or not he's worth it.

 

[JDC]

I'll always be a huge Zach supporter and would love to see him back with the team, but there's a large part of me that would like to see him find a situation where he can be played more to his strengths.

Ideally he's on a team with multiple big guards and wings. Allows him to play more center where his ability to space the floor and protect the rim have a lot more value. Defensively, he's able to be the featured pnr defender that you can use and all types of schemes or as a straight or late switch guy.

But yeah still a big believer in Zach. If he can put together a couple healthy seasons I have no doubt that he'll be an impactful player on a good team for a long time.

 

[BoomChakaLaka]

Zach never had much hops, was foul prone, lacked a consistent jumper and was constantly stifled at the rim by opposing defenders. He's a backup at best for a team with an aspirations of going deep in the playoffs..

I think Zach is for a young team like the Knicks

 

[tykendo]

I like the idea of Zach coming back on a "Prove it" deal. Blazers have invested in his rehab, and I think he fits what they need. His defense, and tough demeanor were a big plus against Jokic in that Playoff win a couple years ago. Enes was able to be Enes on offense because Zach had the tough defense on Joker to back him up. If Zach is cool with this, bring him back. I miss his No B.S. toughness.

 

[James lamphear]

I like the idea of Zach coming back on a "Prove it" deal. Blazers have invested in his rehab, and I think he fits what they need. His defense, and tough demeanor were a big plus against Jokic in that Playoff win a couple years ago. Enes was able to be Enes on offense because Zach had the tough defense on Joker to back him up. If Zach is cool with this, bring him back. I miss his No B.S. toughness.

I am looking him getting 7 for 2or 3 years with a player option due most lately been that with a player option. I like Zach but to me he has show me his body is sound.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Any injury updates?

 

[Ed O]

I'd love to see what he can do with a full year of being healthy. I think having him backing up Nurk in the Denver series would have been a very good thing or at least better than what we had. I see these as the main considerations:

Positive:
- He's still only 23 years old
- His skill set (permiter shooting and shotblocking) is a very valuable one

Negative:
- It's hard to NOT consider him injury-prone after the last couple of years
- It's difficult to believe his skills would be better now, almost two years after he finished his last complete seasons
- Even before getting hurt, he was a fouling machine

Uncertain:
- Contract... how much demand will he see from other teams? And will Olshey even pay attention to the market, or let him leave (or re-sign him) independent of that
- Opportunity cost... whatever we pay him (since presumably it'll be more than veteran's minimum), what could we have instead? Will it hurt our luxury tax situation and force us to make other moves?

 

[Mediocre Man]

I’m so fucking tired of these threads every year. Put up or shut up. So far he’s been very quiet

 

[Mediocre Man]

I'd love to see what he can do with a full year of being healthy. I think having him backing up Nurk in the Denver series would have been a very good thing or at least better than what we had. I see these as the main considerations:

Positive:
- He's still only 23 years old
- His skill set (permiter shooting and shotblocking) is a very valuable one

Negative:
- It's hard to NOT consider him injury-prone after the last couple of years
- It's difficult to believe his skills would be better now, almost two years after he finished his last complete seasons
- Even before getting hurt, he was a fouling machine

Uncertain:
- Contract... how much demand will he see from other teams? And will Olshey even pay attention to the market, or let him leave (or re-sign him) independent of that
- Opportunity cost... whatever we pay him (since presumably it'll be more than veteran's minimum), what could we have instead? Will it hurt our luxury tax situation and force us to make other moves?

The fuck?!?!

Great to see you

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Dallas Raef Lafrentz

If we’re lucky.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

I'm surprised in 2 pages of posts nobody has mentioned the 8-3 record we had with him beginning of last season. This is usually the main argument in favor of Zach. Not his bad mobility and his below average shooting for a PF

2-1 to start the season. 6-2 in bubble.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

If Zach gets offered 10 million a season let him walk. 15 then run.

Same idiots wanting to pay Zach as said we had to keep Meyers at any cost even a max contract since he was a 50/40/90 player just like Dirk...

I'm all for seeing what Zach does on a qualifying offer, it would be nice for him to finally get healthy and improve.

But it also would've been nice to see Oden finally have a productive season. Never happened.

Zach doesn't have one season as a rotational NBA player. Giving him a multi year deal is stupid.

You don’t remember him well. He was a big part of the rotation two years ago. His development is why we let Aminu go. When push came to shove against Denver in 2019, we went with Collins

 

[wizenheimer]

I'd love to see what he can do with a full year of being healthy. I think having him backing up Nurk in the Denver series would have been a very good thing or at least better than what we had. I see these as the main considerations:

Positive:
- He's still only 23 years old

that's glass half full. Glass half empty: he'll already be 24 when next season starts

- His skill set (permiter shooting and shotblocking) is a very valuable one

ok....his career mark from three point range is 32.4%. Worse is his career mark on corner three's is only 34%. That is not an encouraging sign. I mean, Kent Bazemore has shot 38.4% on corner three's for his career and shot 40% his 2nd season. Al Farouq Aminu's career mark on corner's three's is 37.1% and he shot 38% in his 3rd season

he's not a good mid-range shooter either; under 29% in the 3-10' range and 33% in the 10-16' range

Zach can certainly improve on his perimeter shooting, but it's way too early to count that as a skillset

as for shot-blocking, his 3.1% career rate is ok but it's also nothing extraordinary. Robin Lopez has a 4% career mark and has posted 7 seasons better than Zach's best mark. And Lopez isn't some notable shot-blocker. Joel Przybilla had a 5.4% career mark and in his first 3 seasons his mark was over 7%