As I stated in my article comparing the Hawks’ rookies to NBA players, John Collins reminds me of former two-time NBA All-Star David Lee. Both players are slightly undersized to play under the basket, with both being measured between 6’9 and 6’10 at their respective NBA Draft Combines. With size working against them, Lee and Collins use strength and basketball IQ to to grab rebounds at levels usually only seen by players 7 feet or taller. Through his first 4 Summer League games, Collins averaged 25.2 points and 15.3 rebounds per 36 minutes.
In his prime Lee averaged 20 points and ten rebounds on a nightly basis, but was never given other talented players around him that could bring success to his teams.