Atlanta Hawks: 3 players facing the most pressure in 2018-19

3. John Collins

John Collins was the 19th overall selection of the 2017 NBA Draft and made a profound impact on the Hawks from the start. As a rookie, Collins tallied 5.4 win shares, which was the top mark on the team and he wasn’t even a starter all season.

Collins did play starter’s minutes though, averaging 24.1 minutes per game over his 74 games. He finished the season as starter, picking up the starting spot right before the All-Star break and allowing the Hawks to waive Ersan Ilysaova.

In 2017-18, Collins also lead the team in Player Efficiency Rating with an 18.3 rating. The next highest rating belonged to Dennis Schroder, but he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, opening up a huge scoring need for the Hawks.

John Collins will be the starter out of the gate this season. His minutes should skyrocket and the hopes are that he stays as efficient as he was last season. While it was in limited play, Collins did show the potential of what he could do every night in NBA Summer League play.

Trae Young may be the new, shiny piece for the Hawks, but John Collins could be the heart and soul that drives this team in 2018-19.