Atlanta Hawks: Ranking all 5 starters for the 2021-22 season

Atlanta Hawks starters ranked: 3. PF John Collins

The season began with questions about John Collins’ future in Atlanta. It ended with a new multi-year contract after Collins continued to validate his place as an important piece to a championship contender.

Collins actually saw a downturn in many of his numbers from the previous season. The power forward averaged 17.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. But he took care of the ball better (1.3 turnovers per game) and showed continued promise from three, hitting 39.9 percent of his attempts.

The big man still has plenty of room to grow and the Hawks are banking on that promise. They should also bank on him trying to limit his fouling troubles; last year, Collins committed 193 fouls, the 11th-most in the NBA.

Expectations are going to be high for Collins now that he has his long-awaited contract. Right now, it’s fair to call Collins a good player, maybe even a very good player. But the the Hawks want him to be a great player, an All-Star to play alongside Trae Young for years to come.

He has the potential to do that, but the contract means he needs to get it going quickly, or the boo-birds will come out. Here’s betting on Collins taking the next step in 2021-22.