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

Final grade

The Portland Trail Blazers weren’t necessarily wrong to select Zach Collins. The athleticism, energy and confidence is there. He had numerous moments throughout the season that showed he could grow into a versatile scorer and a solid defender.

However, there is still a lot of work to do before Collins becomes a complete player. He finished the year with low returns in both counting and advanced statistics. The tools for greatness were present, but he ultimately couldn’t produce on the offensive end and committed too many rookie mistakes on the defensive side.

Fortunately, Collins has been putting in the work to improve as a player. He played six games at the 2018 Vegas Summer League, averaging 8.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. His production played a part in the team winning the Summer League title.

Zach Collins could shape up to be a high-level NBA player and may even see a huge jump in 2018-19. However, that probably isn’t comforting to a fanbase that wanted a Western Conference playoff contender yesterday. Collins’ trajectory at the current moment shows a player that won’t be near the top of his game for another few years.

Grade: C-