Atlanta Hawks: 2017-18 player grades for John Collins
Highlights
Collins only surpassed the 20-point margin twice this season. His first 20-point game as an NBA player came in a losing effort to the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 20. Collins set the tone for his big night with a two-handed jam after he slipped to the rim following a dribble handoff from then-Hawk Marco Belinelli.
He ultimately finished with 21 points on 10-of-12 shooting with nine boards (four were offensive) and a couple of blocks. Collins did most of his damage off of screens and put-backs, but he also hit a couple of free throw line jumpers when the Spurs left him open.
Collins looked impressive against the Boston Celtics a few days earlier. This was when Boston looked like the best team in the Eastern Conference and sported the best defense in the league (in terms of points allowed per 100 possessions).
Collins played just 24 minutes in this game, but he still filled the stat sheet. He scored 18 points and shot 7-for-8 from the field. Even with a smart defender like Al Horford patrolling the rim, Collins still got to the paint and finished strong.
Collins’ other 20-point game was against former Hawk Dwight Howard‘s new team, the Charlotte Hornets. He dropped 21 points and nine boards in 28 minutes, getting his usual allotment of shots in the paint. However, he also flashed a little bit of that shooting stroke from the corner as well.