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

What would be the impacts of the San Antonio Spurs adding John Collins?

The San Antonio Spurs already possess an embarrassment of riches in young backcourt talent, now fans are clamoring for a promising big man to pair with their franchise building blocks. And one name that is constantly floated out as a target is Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins.

San Antonio enters the summer in a cloud of uncertainty, with key veterans on expiring contracts possibly on the move. But all of these expiring deals could set up the organization could be one of free agency’s big spenders. With potential cap space north of $52 million, the Spurs find themselves in uncharted territory.

As one of the stars of this free-agent class and a man on the hunt for a max deal, the noise behind John Collins’ possible fit with San Antonio is one that has caught the eyes of pundits and fans alike. It’s a fit that makes sense.

The 6’9, 235-lb power forward has been remarkable so far in the early years of his career since being selected 19th overall in the 2017 NBA draft. The athletic forward is seen as a franchise cornerstone in Atlanta next to budding superstar Trae Young, but with contract negotiations reportedly iffy, and Clint Capela and Danilo Gallinari being wonderful fits next to the young guard, the Hawks may not view Collins as indispensable as before.

Collins is a restricted free agent, the Hawks can match any deal that he gets. Still, the Spurs can make a strong push to land him and they just might pull it off. So let’s zoom in on the advantages and disadvantages of John Collins coming to the Alamo City, a possibility that gains more likelihood as we approach the summer.

Next: Pro No. 1

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

Mar 16, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate (8) looks for a shot as Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins (20) pressures him during the first half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Wyke/POOL PHOTOS-USA TODAY Sports

John Collins brings potential to San Antonio Spurs with defense and rebounding

While the San Antonio Spurs have vastly improved on defense compared to the past two seasons, the team still suffers from inconsistent bouts with defensive lapses. While not considered a defensive stalwart, there is a lot of room for growth for John Collins, especially with his physical gifts. Between his athleticism, frame, and motor, he’s got the potential to be a great defender.

Given his bounce, it’s a downer to see that he only averages a block per game in his career. However, much of that is traceable from Atlanta’s porous defenses in recent years. Coming to a team that prides itself on defense, with the teachings of Gregg Popovich, will almost certainly help unlock his defensive upside and in turn, the team’s ceiling as a point-preventing squad.

Another one of John Collins’ biggest strengths is his stellar rebounding. Even though he can find himself undersized against more physically imposing matchups, he is relentless on the boards. In fact, a lot of his points are a result of second-chance buckets.

The young forward has already proven himself to be a nightly 20-10 threat. The only reason why his numbers are down compared to last year’s breakout campaign is because of Capela manning the middle. Together, they are the reasons why the Hawks are 4th and 5th in second-chance points and offensive rebounds per game.

Look at Collins’ persistence on the boards here. Even if Capela, a monster rebounder, is already lingering in the paint, he aggressively pursues the second chance opportunity. Popovich squads usually do not encourage offensive rebounds in order to prioritize transition defense, but having a threat on the offensive boards will help clean up sometimes inconsistent finishing of the young guns.

Next: Con No. 1

John Collins doesn’t bring any reliable passing to the San Antonio Spurs 

One of the few knocks in John Collins’ game is that he is constantly hunting for individual opportunities to score. While not a selfish player by any means, his playmaking acumen in his four seasons so far has not yet surfaced. In his career, he has averaged more turnovers than assists per game.

A near-constant presence in Pop’s schemes is a big man who can pass. With the likes of Tim Duncan, Boris Diaw and Pau Gasol in recent years, as well as Poeltl making strides as an accurate drive and kick and interior passer, Pop loves having options in the frontcourt who can find cutters and shooters to execute half-court sets.

Observe how he struggles to break down a double team here as he misses two cutters driving to the paint. By the time he gives it up, it is too late and he flicks off a soft pass which then becomes deflected and results into a turnover. This is not a rare instance, as his lack of passing has contributed to why Atlanta’s offense literally lives and dies by Trae Young’s scoring and playmaking.

John Collin’s 1.5 dimes per contest is below average given his abundant touches per game, but it may also be a result of playing alongside Young. Nevertheless, passing is a weakness in his game that needs a lot of finetuning.

Next: Con No. 2

Apr 20, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins (20) warms up on the court before the game against the Orlando Magic at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

John Collins only brings shaky individual shot creation ability

There are consequences to the Atlanta Hawks being solely dependent on Trae Young’s creation to thrive as a squad. One of which is the overdependence of its featured scorers on his playmaking, especially John Collins. While his scoring totals are robust, a vast majority of his buckets are an end result of pick and rolls and lobs fresh off Young’s flashy passing ability.

In fact, only 21.5 percent of his field-goal attempts are unassisted this season. His career-high in this department is 24.5 percent which is way back in his rookie season. The reason why this is a negative is that no one in the San Antonio Spurs roster is on the level of Trae Young as a passer. As a Spur, clear-cut opportunities as a finisher off great passes will not be as abundant as before.

In stretches where the Spurs fail to generate open looks, isolation plays become important. DeRozan has been thriving as a consistent provider of bailout shots. Murray has also improved in that sense as well. So does Derrick White with his rejuvenated outside shot and creative drives to the basket. But if a bulk of the offense is predicated on John Collins’ one-on-one shot creation, the attack is not in an ideal position to brave through tough defenses.

Maybe being forced into more isolation situations would unlock a new level for John Collins’s shot creation but it’s not a sure thing. If it doesn’t, the Spurs might end up paying a lot of money for a player who can’t carry them across the finish line when they need him to.

With any player, there are going to be pros and cons of adding them to your team. In John Collins’s case, the pros far outweigh the cons. The San Antonio Spurs need to make an offer this summer.