San Antonio Spurs: 4 Pros and Cons of a possible John Collins addition

Pros of adding John Collins to the Spurs – Better frontcourt offense

It’s no secret that the bulk of the San Antonio Spurs offense depends on the production of its backcourt and wing scorers. The Silver and Black does not boast a lot of scoring options in the frontcourt, save for Rudy Gay’s 11 points per game, as well as Jakob Poeltl and Drew Eubanks’ combined nightly average of 13.7 points in the paint.

John Collins’ 17.8 points per contest will certainly supercharge a big man rotation that ranks 20th in the league at scoring. He’s cementing himself as one of his squad’s primary scoring options who can get buckets on great efficiency. He could bring that same impact to the Spurs.

The athletic forward is a pendulum swinger not only in how many points he puts up but also in his ability to provide a variety of scoring options to an attack that often settles on hoisting mid-range shots, the least efficient stat in basketball.

Wouldn’t it be fun to see John Collins constantly challenge the D with Keldon Johnson with their acrobatic finishing abilities? Having a couple of players who can shoot in traffic gives the squad a bailout option in the half court. You would be hard-pressed to think of any Spurs frontcourt player in the past decade who possesses his motor and constant activity on offense.

Another great thing about John Collins is his improved outside game. This is pivotal especially as defenders have been starting to pack the lane against the Spurs and willingly concede perimeter shots from non-volume shooting threats. Look at how Golden State aggressively doubles Trae Young, only to give up a wide-open three for Collins. It’s not hard to see him playing in a similar situation but on the receiving end of passes from a Dejounte Murray kick out.

Alongside the vertical spacing that he gives as a lob threat, his 37 percent career rate threes gives the Spurs a pick and pop option to help when defenders double down on ball handlers such as Murray, Derrick White, and Lonnie Walker. This will modernize an offense that goes through anemic stretches at times when the opposition dares non-shooters to punish them for packing the paint.

Next: Pro No. 2