Zach Collins' Present and Future Thoughts

[JDC]

He's allowing 45.3% around the rim which is a -15.4% vs the expected fg% on those same attempts. This leads all rookies who have defended at least 50 shots within 6 feet of the basket.

He's struggled here and there guarding away from the basket, but most of these struggles are coming from a lack of experience. Has operated mostly close to the basket his entire career, but he has enough IQ, quickness and coordination to be a good space/pnr defender.

Still figuring it out offensively for sure.

Struggling around the rim traffic. Doesn't have the strength or length extension to be really effective around the rim against elite size/athleticism or be much of a back to basket guy long term. All of this plus lack of one foot explosiveness plus small hands also limits his versatility as a roll man in pnr.

Will need to continue to improve his shooting. Has improved his shot prep and simplified his mechanics in spot up situations, but struggled with his footwork coming out of pnp's and when he shoots off any movement. Again, didn't have much experience in these situations in HS or college so struggles here are to be expected.

Swing skill offensively will be whether or not he can leverage his shooting touch/footwork/coordination combination to become an effective face up player. Without this development, he should still be a useful 3&D big, but will be really important towards reaching his high-level starter type potential.

Edit* I understand that this reads as a scouting report and isn't very conversational, but just wanted to get my random Zach Collins thoughts out there

 

[Labinot41]

I was high on him in December und i had dreams that he could be One day like Porzingis, but in january he wasn't that good and in february he was absolutely terrible. Every Time he's on the court he looks invisible and isn't involved in the game, but i Hope when he adds more muscles and experience he will be better

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

We should either hire Kevin McHale as a big man coach or he should work out with McHale this summer. The kid really needs to learn how to play efficiently on the offensive end, also gaining mass and stop jumping late on the perimeter will help him.

At this moment, with this organization I’m worried about his development. We aren’t good at developing young big men.

 

[Optimistic Bob]

We are a professional vocation !! We WILL hire/find a big man coach pretty dang soon because we now have TWO big men who need the help of a tutor. Nurk and Collins. It's a two for one hire. C'mon Blazers..... the BIG WIN is before us !!

 

[BonesJones]

I was high on him in December und i had dreams that he could be One day like Porzingis, but in january he wasn't that good and in february he was absolutely terrible. Every Time he's on the court he looks invisible and isn't involved in the game, but i Hope when he adds more muscles and experience he will be better

No wonder you were let down if you thought he was gonna be Porzingas. Lmao c'mon man.

 

[KingSpeed]

No wonder you were let down if you thought he was gonna be Porzingas. Lmao c'mon man.

Too early to tell.

 

[Cippy91]

No wonder you were let down if you thought he was gonna be Porzingas. Lmao c'mon man.

I think porzingis is his ceiling

 

[KingSpeed]

I think porzingis is his ceiling

I think the main thing though is that Collins probably won't grow three more inches which is what makes KP special.

 

[AFully22]

I’ve thought for a while that Collins should look to be the white Ibaka and I think that’s his ceiling. Good shot blocker and defender that can space the floor and knock down threes.

Still, I don’t think that’s some type of franchise changer like the front office seems to think.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

I’ve thought for a while that Collins should look to be the white Ibaka and I think that’s his ceiling. Good shot blocker and defender that can space the floor and knock down threes.

Still, I don’t think that’s some type of franchise changer like the front office seems to think.

Yeah, I see Collins as an Ibaka ceiling and Gorgui Dieng floor

 

[Scalma]

I’ve thought for a while that Collins should look to be the white Ibaka and I think that’s his ceiling. Good shot blocker and defender that can space the floor and knock down threes.

Still, I don’t think that’s some type of franchise changer like the front office seems to think.

A prime Ibaka would be a franchise changer on this team.

 

[AFully22]

A prime Ibaka would be a franchise changer on this team.

Prime Ibaka averaged 15 and 8 with 2.5 blocks per game. Btw it took him five years in the league to get there. I think that’s a definite difference maker but I would hardly call that a ‘franchise changer’. I’m not down on him at all I just don’t like the idea of relying on his development into a legit third piece on this team in the next 3-4 years.

I think prime Collins is a guy you could rely on to be a missing piece type player when you have another forward comparible in value to a Tobias Harris or Robert Covington. Just my opinion.

 

[Cippy91]

I think the main thing though is that Collins probably won't grow three more inches which is what makes KP special.

I’m talking skill set.

 

[Cippy91]

I’ve thought for a while that Collins should look to be the white Ibaka and I think that’s his ceiling. Good shot blocker and defender that can space the floor and knock down threes.

Still, I don’t think that’s some type of franchise changer like the front office seems to think.

This is a good comparison as well

 

[ripcityboy]

Going to wait a couple of years before I call him the basketball equivalent of Christian Hackenberg. I would like to see him put on some more muscle and work on his shooting this offseason as well. And the fact we don't have a big man coach is still as perplexing a tale as the Loch Ness Monster.

 

[chzbrgr]

I wanted so bad for him to be a difference maker but he just has no positive impact on the offense. I was one who was pushing to pick him and really excited about moving up to get him. However, he is way behind even as a simple catch and shoot player. Can’t really create all too much and cant finish around the basket. I’m afraid he is another one way player who is good enough not to get rid of but bad enough to be on the constant lookout for a replacement.

It’s encouraging he is looking good on defense right now but he can’t hit an open shot to save his life and his shooting % numbers are downright horrible. Idk maybe it’s too early to tell but he is further away from being useful than I expected he would be by now. His ceiling is not as high as I thought either he’s not on the level of kp or markanen even talent wise and not an all star talent. Maybe he gets to ibaka, hopefully he does it’s a long way from here to there though.

 

[SIeepwalker]

Can't wait to see him average 28/15 while winning DPOY

 

[BonesJones]

I wanted so bad for him to be a difference maker but he just has no positive impact on the offense. I was one who was pushing to pick him and really excited about moving up to get him. However, he is way behind even as a simple catch and shoot player. Can’t really create all too much and cant finish around the basket. I’m afraid he is another one way player who is good enough not to get rid of but bad enough to be on the constant lookout for a replacement.

It’s encouraging he is looking good on defense right now but he can’t hit an open shot to save his life and his shooting % numbers are downright horrible. Idk maybe it’s too early to tell but he is further away from being useful than I expected he would be by now. His ceiling is not as high as I thought either he’s not on the level of kp or markanen even talent wise and not an all star talent. Maybe he gets to ibaka, hopefully he does it’s a long way from here to there though.

Premature take to be talking as if his long term outlook has changed.

 

[Orion Bailey]

I’ve thought for a while that Collins should look to be the white Ibaka and I think that’s his ceiling. Good shot blocker and defender that can space the floor and knock down threes.

Still, I don’t think that’s some type of franchise changer like the front office seems to think.

Guys on a midrange team, sometime the difference maker is the role player. It’s all about how he fits in and how they play off each other.

Pippen and Jordan weren’t winning until they filled the roster with the rigt role players.

San Antonio keeps winning because they find the right fit role players to put around thier stars.

Give Collins a chance. He may not be a stat stuffer on the offense bu he might bring just enough to help free up cj and dame and really become that X factor like draymond green in gsw.

 

[julius]

Premature take to be talking as if his long term outlook has changed.

Nope, trade the bum. he's done. if he hasn't shown 100% of what he's capable after his rookie year, he'll amount nothing. It has NEVER happened before.

He's shown nothing at all. I should know, I watch practices.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Nope, trade the bum. he's done. if he hasn't shown 100% of what he's capable after his rookie year, he'll amount nothing. It has NEVER happened before.

He's shown nothing at all. I should know, I watch practices.

Green font or for reals? I don’t know you well enough to know yet.

 

[Nikolokolus]

He could always make a leap in year two or three, but odds are he's going to be nothing but a journeyman -- a good D, low-usage offensive player.

 

[dviss1]

Green font or for reals? I don’t know you well enough to know yet.

Julius' moniker is in green font.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

I wonder what Collins would look like had he been drafted to Chicago in place of Markkanen. Would he be putting up 16/8 type numbers playing 30 min a night?

 

[julius]

Green font or for reals? I don’t know you well enough to know yet.

Hugely green font.

 

[tykendo]

I wonder what Collins would look like had he been drafted to Chicago in place of Markkanen. Would he be putting up 16/8 type numbers playing 30 min a night?

I don't think so. He's getting a nice run with the Blazers, and will have improved scoring numbers when his shot consistently fall. Markkanen can flatout shoot the rock NOW. But I like Collins progress, especially altering shots at the hoop defensively.

 

[chzbrgr]

Premature take to be talking as if his long term outlook has changed.

You can’t evaluate a player and adjust after 50 games? He has not shown himself to be a future all star or fringe star which is kind of where I pegged him. The premature take is thinking he can live up to that level before seeing him play against nba competition, not after. It’s not that he is going to be this player for his entire career but it is unlikely he becomes part of a “big 3” where we see him on a similar level to dame and cj.

 

[Hoopguru]

Too early to tell.

totally agree!

 

[Wizard Mentor]

He could always make a leap in year two or three, but odds are he's going to be nothing but a journeyman -- a good D, low-usage offensive player.

If I was a gambling man, I'd definitely take those odds.

 

[BonesJones]

He could always make a leap in year two or three, but odds are he's going to be nothing but a journeyman -- a good D, low-usage offensive player.

Based on the first half of his rookie season as a 19/20 year old?

Damn some of y'all are so impatient with this kid.