ZACH COLLINS
BIRTHDATE: 11/19/97
POSITION: Power Forward/ Center
HEIGHT: 7'0"
WEIGHT: 230 lbs
SCHOOL/ TEAM: Gonzaga
CLASS: Freshman
OFFENSE
*Great height and length for an NBA PF
*A little thin but solid frame with room to add muscle
*Average athlete but he is fluid in his movements and has great feet
*Soft touch around the rim and good hands when catching passes in traffic/on the move
*Can catch lobs off two feet when open but needs to gather himself some in traffic
*Shifts around the paint as guards attack to open up dump off opportunities when his man helps
*Can be bothered by contact around the rim
*Gets decent contact on his screens consistently but often releases early looking for the ball
*When the guard switches in PNR, uses his body well to seal off the defender and make himself a big target
*Can catch the roll pass a few dribbles from the rim and get there
*Doesn’t shoot often from range but shows potential to be a serious PNP threat as he develops
*Good form on his jumper with a high release point
*Sound footwork when transitioning from setting the screen to rolling or popping. Little wasted movement
*Very effective post player on both blocks and with both hands
*Competes for post position
*Good technique in post footwork, has multiple moves and counters
*Strong jump hook with both hands and a quick face up rip through move
*Has pretty good vision out of the post but mostly looks for his shot
DEFENSE
*Slides his feet well for his size and relative athleticism
*Quicker players can get by him and create separation to shoot on the perimeter
*Tendency to stand too straight up when defending away from the ball
*Takes up good help defense positioning, closes out hard on spot up shooters
*Stays with the play when someone attacks his closeout, keeps his hands up around the rim
*Sinks when defending the PNR, late to PNP shooters
*Competes for post position
*Plays post defense a step off his man and tries to use his length to deter and alter shots
*Does a better job vs finesse moves than power moves, can be pushed under the rim
*Has decent timing as an on-ball shot blocker
*Can help protect the rim but isn’t an imposing figure despite his size and length
KHAIRI AKILI - MARCH 12, 2017
Zach Collins is a skilled center that can pop, post and face up. Of all the 7 footers potentially in the draft, he's the most well rounded. He plays alongside another Big at Gonzaga so he might even be able to plays some 4.
Collins isn't the most explosive guy especially in the paint. He gets a lot of his shots blocked. How good is he? Gonzaga isn't exactly playing against NBA talent every night and when they have played Power 5 schools, Collins wasn't very impressive. It'll be interesting to see what he does in the tournament.
POSITIVES:
Big body
Good jumper
Good athlete
Can face up or play with his back to the basket
Turns off of both shoulders
Range out to the college line
Good hands
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Inferior competition
Wasn't impressive against power 5 schools except for Washington
Not particularly explosive in traffic
Gets his shot blocked a lot in traffic
Will he rebound?
JAMES BARLOWE - FEBRUARY 13, 2017