The Portland Trail Blazers need to be patient with Zach Collins
By Ty Delbridge
Zach Collins was a top 10 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. Compared to other rookies around the league, Collins has gotten off to a slow start. The Blazers and their fans need to be patient with Collins and allow him to prove he was worth the pick.
The Portland Trail Blazers traded the rights to the 15th pick (Justin Jackson) and the rights to the 20th pick (Harry Giles) to the Sacramento Kings for the rights to the 10th pick (Zach Collins).
Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey had this to say about Zach Collins on draft night.
"“He is everything you wanna look for in a big man in our league today. This is about the next 12-15 years. He is a franchise-level building block to join guys we already have on this roster. He fits their career arc. He does some things we really need but more than anything we are trying to build the roster the right way. If we can accelerate this, we would accelerate it, but if we are not going to accelerate it, we need to make the best and the most of the model that we are under right now.”"
The Blazers drafted the one-and-done product from the University of Gonzaga knowing he would be a bit of a project. He missed most of Summer League with an injury and didn’t start playing meaningful minutes for the Blazers until Dec. 9.
So far this season, he is averaging 4.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.7 assists in 14 minutes a game. His numbers per 36 minutes are a little more exciting to look at if you are a fan of the Blazers and Collins. He is averaging 10.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 blocks per 36 minutes. Collins can fill the stat sheet when he has an opportunity to play more.
Here are the stat lines from some of Collins’ best games this season:
- Dec. 11 against the Golden State Warriors: 9 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals
- Dec. 13 against the Miami Heat: 9 points. 3 rebounds, 1 block (first career start)
- Dec. 18 against the Minnesota Timberwolves: 7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block
- Dec. 23 against the Los Angeles Lakers: 11 points, 6 rebounds. 3 assists, 2 blocks
- Jan. 9 against the Thunder: 9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal ( Looked the most confident he has in his young NBA career)