Minnesota Timberwolves: Zach Collins pros and cons
By Jason Tucker
Con: Defensive liability
I know what you’re thinking, “How is a player who averaged 1.8 blocks per game and 4.1 blocks per-40 minutes a defensive liability?”
Collins has a few flaws in his defensive game, and as we mentioned earlier, his stats are a bit inflated because of the inferior competition that he faced in college.
One of the biggest problems Collins encountered in college was his inability to stay out of foul trouble. Collins averaged 2.7 fouls per game and over six fouls per 40 minutes. He is known to bite on fakes and tends to get frustrated whenever things aren’t going his way, leading him to get into early foul trouble.
He struggled against bigger players who were able to back him down in the paint. Collins will need to add 10-15 pounds without sacrificing much of the agility he uses to guard smaller players.
Collins’ 7-foot-2 wingspan is also average for a player his height and doesn’t stack up with some of the better shot blockers in the league.
All of his defensive shortcomings are very nitpicky at this point. He is still nimble enough to guard on the perimeter and he has also shown to be an excellent rebounder.
I could see Collins sliding in well next to either Towns or Gorgui Dieng. If he can show consistency in his jumper as he takes more shots and stays out of foul trouble, I believe he could be an excellent piece for the Timberwolves to add to their frontcourt.