Portland Trail Blazers: 2017-18 player grades for Zach Collins

Weaknesses

Despite his potential, the numbers still show that Collins had a rough rookie year. The intermittent flashes of great things were overshadowed by too much inexperience. Offensively, he produced just under 0.8 points per possession last season, putting him the 14th percentile. He was slightly better defensively, allowing 0.96 points per possession. However, that still placed him in only the 29th percentile.

Collins’ slight build compared to other bigs also served as a detriment. At 230 pounds, he was a target against bigger players as well as those more willing to attack the rim. This led him to struggle in the post, giving up 1.4 points per possession. That mark was fifth-worst in the entire league among players with at least 10 defensive post-up possessions.

Collins also struggled in the post game on offense. Despite his footwork, he ultimately struggled to finish when he had to put up a shot. Collins only produced 0.58 points per possession out of post-ups, putting him in the seventh percentile.

Foul trouble was one of Collins’ biggest issues in his rookie year, carrying over from college to his pro career. He averaged 5.6 fouls per 36 minutes at Gonzaga, which translated to 4.6 fouls per 36 his rookie year.

Collins fouled out twice in 66 games and finished 14 games with four or more infractions. If he wants to stay on the court next season, he has to figure out how to defend without fouling.