NBA Center Tier List: Where does Zach Collins rank?

Tier Five: Average Starters

Tier five is where we find Collins for the time being. This tier is meant for centers that are solid but don't necessarily move the needle much. Some of these players are more one-dimensional, with either limited defensive skill or limited offensive ability.

20.) Jusuf Nurkic
21.) Jonas Valanciunas
22.) Steven Adams
23.) Zach Collins
24.) Dwight Powell

Valanciunas, for instance, is a very productive player but struggles defensively, blunting his impact on his team. The same can be said for Nurkic, but considering that Collins is the youngest player in this tier, he has the potential to level up. Last season, he showed improvement as a defender, especially as a rim protector. With Wembanyama playing beside him, that should further help Collins, with Wemby being able to cover a lot of ground and his size and length being a big deterrent.

Offensively, he has the skillset needed to complement the other four players in the starting lineup. He shot 37.4% from three after becoming a starter last season. And if that continues, then he would give the Spurs four players in the starting five that can knock down threes—five if Tre Jones improves as a shooter. Collins operating as a stretch five allows for San Antonio to play Wemby at the four, which is a necessity, and he has room to grow in his role as a starter.