Ranking the top 50 NBA players of next season: 50-41

49.  John Collins

John Collins does not get nearly enough attention. Some of this is being on the Atlanta Hawks, a team that has not won much of anything during his time there. He is overshadowed by his All-Star teammate Trae Young. He was also suspended for a decent chunk of last season which has further limited his exposure.

Just look at the number for the third-year big man. He posted averages of 21.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.5 assists per game while shooting an impressive 40.1 percent from long distance. He got better as the season went along and is one of the few decent defenders on the Hawks.

He is not yet a finished product, still only 23 years old but the progress from year to year is clear. If he can stay on the court it is not hard to imagine him being an All-Star as soon as this year. He is the archetypal small-ball big man that can stretch the floor but is also deadly efficient down low.

If the rest of the roster starts caring about defense (adding Onyeka Okongwu with the sixth pick is a good first step) that will only help Collins to succeed. He is underqualified to be the only defender on the team (who is qualified for that?) but he is a solid back bone for this unit.