Atlanta Hawks Big Man John Collins Has a Lot to Improve This Off-season
By Kit Anderson
John Collins flashed explosiveness at the rim for the Atlanta Hawks in 2018. His dunks were fun to watch and showed off his athleticism. Attacking the basket in the pick and roll was often where Collins found his best highlights.
Aside from his dunks, there were many obvious holes in Collin’s game he must improve this season. The biggest flaw for Collins was the fact he couldn’t play defense without fouling.
His defensive approach is above average the problem was his youthful age and size. Collins must make the weight room his best friend this off-season. Collins needs to work on his ability to check bigger players in the post.
Focusing on improving his defense and size should be his biggest focus this off-season. The second should be his jump shot and ability to handle the ball. Watching Collins shoot was awkward at times but improved as the season moved along.
Working further to improve his jump shot and ability to handle the ball will open up the Hawk’s offense.
John Collins isn’t going to be a star player but he is more than capable of being a B+ starter for the Hawks. He could fill a defensive role well and can help the Hawks run the floor with his speed.
Watching Collins dunk the ball were some of the best moments of the season for the Hawks. Now, they must find a player in the upcoming draft to pair with Collins and hope the big man takes a step forward.
A step forward for Collins can only be found in the weight room and working tirelessly on his jump shot. A jump shot that we have already seen improvement in and only one season. Collins will continue to develop as the Hawk’s rebuild continues in the seasons to come.