Forward John Collins has been in the shadows in Atlanta since he came into the league, and he deserves a lot more credit than he’s received. Needless to say, the Hawks are arguably the worst team in the league, but Collins’ has been their best player.
From a performance standpoint he’s been performing tremendously. Improving in every statistical category this season, Collins continues to take a backseat to Trae Young.
2017-18: 10.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.3 APG
2018-19: 19.9 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 2.2 APG
Despite, Young’s play thus far, Collins has been the reason the Hawks have competed in games this season. He’s without a doubt the first option on offense, as most of Young’s assists come from Collins. The energy he brings on both ends is why he’s been so productive, leading the team in points and rebounds while being huge in late-game situations this season. He notched a game-winner and has been responsible for many clutch plays down the stretch.
Collins has been shooting a proficient 58% from the field (38% from three) which is better than Trae Young, Kent Bazemore, and Kevin Huerter. The numbers speak for themselves, and his play speaks even louder. 17 of his 34 games played this season have resulted in 20+ point games and even a couple of 30-point nights as well.
Take Collins off the roster, and that 16-34 record gets cut in half easily.
On a more business side to things, Collins doesn’t sell tickets. Trae Young does. At least, that’s what Atlanta is trying to portray. It speaks as to why he isn’t being talked about around the league. They have so much faith in Trae Young that they gave away phenom Luka Doncic to Dallas.
Now, don’t get me wrong, the Hawks have an impressive little duo with Collins and Young who have brought hope to Atlanta. However, as far as the more prominent player, I’m taking Collins before I take Young.
Overall, the Hawks are in a very early stage in the rebuilding process and have been successful thus far working towards creating a dominant team in years to come.