Atlanta Hawks: John Collins’ return helps the offense

The Atlanta Hawks got a boost with the return of John Collins, whose skill-set could help in boosting their lackluster offense moving forward.

Entering Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Atlanta Hawks have a record of 3-13, good for 14th in the Eastern Conference. It’s been a tough time for the Hawks as they navigate through their rebuild. However, one player, returning power forward John Collins, should be able to assist with the Hawks on the offensive side of the ball.

It’s been a trying time for head coach Lloyd Pierce and one of the youngest teams in the league this season. Currently, the Hawks rank first in pace while also ranking 23rd in defensive efficiency and a woeful 30th in offensive efficiency. The Hawks can get up and down the floor, but can’t seem to put the ball in the basket.

While the defensive side is tough to adjust and manage with several young players littering Atlanta’s rotation, the offense could be adjusted and Collins could be the key piece in a potential offensive turnaround.

Last season, Collins finished his rookie season with averages of 15.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists per 36 minutes. In his first year, he did two things that elevated his profile on the offensive end. First, he flashed as a potential long range shooter, knocking down 34 percent of his 3-point attempts.

The second was that he appeared as a decent scorer around the rim, finishing with 1.13 points per possession as a roll man last season. Overall, Collins finished with 57.4 percent shooting on pick-and-roll plays last season, via NBA.com.  As a player drafted outside of the lottery, Collins showed that he could be a talented big man in Atlanta’s rebuild.

In his first game back against the Indiana Pacers, Collins flashed some of his offensive value, finishing with 12 points in 12 minutes, but more importantly, 6-of-7 from the free throw line.

Part of Atlanta’s offensive struggles is their aforementioned youth, but they also lack someone who can carry the offense in stretches. Collins, despite being in his second season, could offer the Hawks someone that could help them through an offensive rut or two.

Another aspect of Collins assisting the offense is his offensive rebounding. Last season, he finished eighth in the league in offensive rebounding percentage at 11 percent. For a team that currently ranks 28th in offensive rebounding percentage — largely because it attempts so many threes, thus giving up possession — Collins could be a quality asset by providing extra offensive possessions.

Finally, it’ll be interesting to see the rapport between Collins and his point guards, neither of which were with the Hawks last season. Both Trae Young and Jeremy Lin have passed well to centers like Alex Len and Dewayne Dedmon, but have yet to have that high-level finisher as Collins could be.

The Hawks aren’t going to evolve into a top-10 offense thanks to Collins’ arrival from the sideline. However, for a team with several young players, Collins’ arrival could help Atlanta as it figures out how players work together and the role they will eventually play in the future.

While Atlanta’s offense thrives off 3-pointers, ranking fourth in attempts per game, Collins’ skill-set could play a healthy role in Atlanta’s offense. Being an excellent finisher and solid roll man is one thing, but the undervalued part of his game is his offensive rebounding.

For an Atlanta Hawks team that ranks 26th in second chance points, Collins’ offensive rebounding prowess could help as they look to improve their offense moving forward, and his scoring ability could help them move out of the bottom of the league in overall offense.