Hardwood Houdini Draft Profiles
Zach Collins: Gonzaga, C
Height: 7’0″
Weight: 230 pounds
Age: 19
Click on the name for up to date stats: Zach Collins
Strengths
Offense:
For a 19 year old freshmen, Collins is polished on the offensive end of the floor. He can finish at the rim off of the pick and roll, and uses a hook shot against post defenders. Collins also has a smooth jump shot that is reliable from the mid range, and can stretch out to the three point line. He only plays 17 minutes per game, but has made the most of his time. Collins averages 10.4 points per game, but has 23.8 points per 40 minutes. Texas center Jarrett Allen, who will be a lottery pick in this draft, averages 17.1 points per 40 minutes.
Defensive Potential:
Collins averages 1.6 blocks per game in his measly 17 minutes a contest. That number bumps up to 3.3 blocks per 40 minutes. He plays defense with his hands up, which allows him to get easy blocks that stay in bounds. His active hands and technique will allow him to earn minutes in the NBA guarding talented bigs.
Weaknesses:
Strength:
A very ironic weakness of Collins’ game is his strength. He scores in the post with relative ease against shaky competition that Gonzaga faces, but the NBA is a different animal. If he isn’t strong enough to create space in the post, he’ll be forced into becoming a perimeter player. On defense, he won’t be able to reach his full potential on that end if bigger players can move him around with ease. Active hands are fine, but they won’t matter when someone gains position on Collins under the rim and dunks on his head.
Quickness:
Another way for Collins to not reach his full potential is if he can’t keep up with quicker players. The NBA game is shifting outside, and big men are getting quicker. Bigs who can’t keep up with these revolutionary players will have trouble fitting into the versatility dominant NBA style. Collins’ quickness is a bigger problem if he doesn’t bulk up. If he can’t handle stronger players, and can’t keep up with quicker players, then he won’t get consistent minutes at the next level.
Next: HH Draft Rankings: Top 5 Centers
Overview
Collins is a polished offensive player, and has impressive technique on defense for a player his age. These skills will help him drafted in the middle of the first round. However, if he does not work on his strength and conditioning, he will have trouble finding minutes in the NBA to progress his game. All in all, Collins’ efficiency in short playing time is something to look out for.