Portland Trail Blazers Zach Collins is the ideal modern NBA power forward
Portland Trail Blazers power forward Zach Collins has a rare combination of size, agility, and outside shooting ability. He’s shown improvement every season, but his ability to stay healthy holds him back.
It was a bit of a surprise when the Portland Trail Blazers essentially traded up to get Zach Collins with the 10th overall pick at the 2017 draft. They had two first-round picks, numbers 15 and 20, but decided to go with the former Gonzaga Bulldogs standout.
It’s a move that’s paid off well for Rip City. Collins’ career numbers are modest, averaging 5.7 points and 4.0 rebounds. Those numbers don’t tell the whole story. He’s a terrific fit for the Trail Blazers offense. Additionally, he and center Jusuf Nurkic complement each other very well. That allows the Blazers to be one of the few teams that play with a pair of seven-footers on the court at the same time.
Collins is more of your modern-day big, playing a face-up game. He’s effective on the low block taking advantage of his 6-11 frame. His ability to convert from three-point range is what separates him from most other bigs. In that way, he’s similar to Dallas’ Kristaps Porzingas.
Today’s NBA is all about small ball, space, and pace.
Space
So far, Collins proved he can shoot the deep ball. For his career, he’s hit on 32.4 percent of his three-point attempts. That’s a huge advantage for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Because he can step out and nail a three, Collins draws a big man away from the basket. That clears space in the paint for scorers like Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum to do what they do best, score.
Pace
Collins size helps the Portland Trail Blazers on defense as. Most teams will play with a smaller power forward than in previous eras. Think a player anywhere from 6-6 to 6-8. In fact, when Collins went out with a shoulder injury last November, the Blazers replaced him with 6-6 Carmelo Anthony.
Generally, smaller guys are harder to guard as they’re quicker and more agile. Due to his own agility, Collins can keep up with the smaller forwards. Because of his size, he’s also able to defend his man effectively in the post.
The former Zags star should be able to punish his man on the low block on the offensive end. To maximize his abilities, he’ll need to hold his own on the defensive end. I believe Collins can make it work. He is pretty agile for a big guy, and that’s a unique advantage the Portland Trail Blazers should exploit.
Durability Concerns
One of the biggest knocks on Collins as a pro is his injury history. He hasn’t exactly been the model of health in his NBA career, playing in only 62.6 percent of the Portland Trail Blazers games. His numbers have improved each season, which shows development. If Collins can prove his dependability and stay on the court, coach Terry Stotts will run more plays for him.
HELLO ZACH COLLINS pic.twitter.com/3mwUKjksLe
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) July 26, 2020
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