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Atlanta Hawks: 5 reasons John Collins was a good pick

By Brendan Galella

Jun 22, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; John Collins (Wake Forest) is introduced by NBA commissioner Adam Silver as the number nineteen overall pick to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 22, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; John Collins (Wake Forest) is introduced by NBA commissioner Adam Silver as the number nineteen overall pick to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 31, 2016; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons forward John Collins (20) shoots a three point shot in the first half against Clemson Tigers forward Elijah Thomas (14) at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2016; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons forward John Collins (20) shoots a three point shot in the first half against Clemson Tigers forward Elijah Thomas (14) at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Post presence

The Atlanta Hawks chose the most dominant post player in the NCAA with a mid-first round pick, making John Collins a prospect the team couldn’t bypass in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Collins routinely dominated his opponent with his back to the basket, scoring 7.6 points per game out of the post, the highest average of any college player a year ago. As a sophomore, Collins proved he was able to exploit defenders in the post on nearly every possession and saved his best play against conference opponents.

Against the ACC, Collins averaged 20.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and shot 64 percent from the field, making him the third leading scorer in the conference.

Only three times in 19 games against ACC opponents was Collins limited to below 50 percent shooting from the field, largely because of his superior footwork, positioning and soft touch at the basket.

Wake Forest enabled Collins to operate in the post as much as he wanted, accounting for 48.4 percent of his total possessions, as he is comfortable setting up from both the left and right block.

Next: 2017 NBA Draft grades for all 30 teams

With the removal of Dwight Howard from the roster, along with the possible departure of Paul Millsap in free agency, the selection of Collins was the best choice Atlanta could make with the 19th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

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