Atlanta Hawks: 2017-18 player grades for John Collins

Strengths

According to several metrics, Collins was the most productive Hawk for the length of the regular season. He led the team in Player Efficiency Rating (18.3), win shares per 48 minutes (.145), defensive box plus/minus (DBPM) (1.7) and Value Over Replacement Player (1.7).

He was also a beast on the offensive glass. Collins was tied for 13th in the league in offensive rebounds this year (2.4 per game) and eighth in offensive rebounding rate (11 percent). Collins was also excelled at finishing after collecting an offensive board, as he averaged 1.17 points per possession on put-backs, which was among the better marks in the association.

The former Wake Forest Demon Deacon did most of his dirty work in the restricted area. The vast majority of his shots were around the rim (58 percent of his attempts) and that was where he was the most efficient (73 percent). He generated many of his points as the roll man on ball screens, averaging 1.13 points per possession in those situations.

Collins was also surprisingly effective from 3-point range, shooting 34 percent from distance. Of course, he only took 47 shots from downtown, so it’s a small sample size, but it’s also encouraging to see the big man stretch the floor and make some long-range shots.

Collins embodied what a modern NBA center is now: big, athletic, defends the rim well (opponents shot 56 percent against him from inside six feet) and has good touch around the basket. He uses his girth to set screens for the guards and finishes around the rim when he gets a chance. The shooting ability that he flashed this year–particularly on corner 3s–will make him even more valuable in the long run.