Grading Zach Collins return: First preseason action was better than you think

Zach Collins has really had a rough go of it. Early in his career, he was riddled with injuries when he came in with high prospects as a potential steal in the 2017 draft when he was selected by Portland with the 10th overall pick. It's difficult to reach your potential when you spend so much time rehabbing, but he was able to get back on the floor in San Antonio's third preseason game vs. Utah.

If you listen to him speak, you know how much playing well for his team means to him. It's easy to root for a guy who plays as hard as he does, putting in the work and maintaining a positive attitude. He started in place of Victor Wembanyama, who sat out for rest after such a grueling summer of training and Olympic competition. His shot didn't fall much, but his play was encouraging and Pop agrees.

Collins' rust is to be expected but his defense was solid

Collins finished last season shooting the ball extremely well over the final two months, posting a 44% clip in the last 27 games. So, Spurs fans know that he can get on a roll and knock down shots from the outside. But you can't expect every player to enter their first game of a season after recovering from a shoulder injury and knock down shots consistently.

Hopefully, it won't take him too long to find his stroke, but he should be afforded the grace to do so. If you expected the former Gonzaga Bulldog to enter the game and start raining jumpers like a prime Dirk Nowitzki, you should be writing scripts for Disney movies because you have quite an imagination.

The truth is that basketball involves much more than shooting threes, and Collins is a solid basketball player. He's often in the right place when he needs to be, defends well, and takes shots you expect him to take. The value of that last piece can't be understated. There have been too many times over the years when a player drives into traffic or passes up an open look when they should be gunning it.

He finished the game with 11 points, two rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block. You'd like to see more rebounds, but Utah has one of the biggest frontcourts in the league, and again, it was his first game back after having shoulder surgery in the offseason. Collins was active and made good decisions all night.

Zach plays the game the right way, often taking what the defense gives and playing strong through contact. He'll have to make shots eventually, but his first preseason game against the Utah Jazz isn't the time to hold his feet to the fire.

Grade: B-