Portland Trail Blazers: 5 rookie season goals for Zach Collins

5. Learn how to manage his time and money

Having experience covering the Santa Cruz Warriors — G-League affiliate of the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors — one of the things I constantly hear when talking to young players is how much time they have compared to when they were in college.

There’s no more studying during the season. No more classes during the season. And unless you’ve signed a number of high-level endorsements, there’s really just you, your teammates and basketball.

Additionally, many one-and-done players go into the NBA because the earning potential of playing professional basketball — especially if you’re a lottery pick — far outweighs playing on a full-ride scholarship in college.

Zach Collins is one of those one-and-done lottery players, and therefore one of his main goals this season should be learning how to manage his time and money. Being just 19 years old, this season isn’t so much about proving he’s a great basketball player as it is about him proving he’s mature enough to be a pro.

Ideally, he would develop a working schedule that prioritizes gym time over free time while someone he trusts works to manage his money alongside financial advisors. He won’t have to worry too much about his finances, and therefore will be able to maximize his time developing into the NBA player everyone knows he can be.

Without a doubt, every professional athlete should set this goal going into their rookie season, lest they lose everything they worked so hard for.