Portland Trail Blazers: 5 draft prospects that can add frontcourt depth

Apr 22, 2017; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic (27) watches his team play from the bench against the Golden State Warriors in game three of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports /

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Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

John Collins || PF || 19 years old || 6’10”, 225 lbs.

ESPN’s Chad Ford lists John Collins going at 15 to the Portland Trail Blazers in his latest NBA mock draft, while Draft Express lists Collins going at 18. In 33 games for Wake Forest, Collins averaged 19.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 26.6 minutes, shooting 62.4 percent.

Collins’ numbers per 40 minutes are off the charts: 27.9 points, 14.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. Primarily known for having his back to the basket, Collins would give the Blazers yet another inside presence with a talent for getting buckets.

The biggest knock on Collins is that he isn’t the jack-of-all-trades type that so many teams want in their small-ball center; but what Collins lacks in versatility, he surely makes up for being an exceptional, high-motor athlete.

According to HoopsStats.com, the Blazers bench averaged only 30.6 points, ranking 27th in the NBA. Collins would be an awesome fit in the Blazers’ second unit, providing the bench with some much-needed scoring.

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