OKC Thunder NBA Draft prospect series: Zach Collins

Zach Collins represents one of the more versatile big men. Although unlikely to fall in the range of the Thunder’s 21st pick he may offer a tantalizing option for Sam Presti to trade up for.

In the point guard rich 2017 NBA draft Zach Collins may well be the first center to get plucked in the lottery. Most draft boards place him as the top center, but the Gonzaga big may be better suited for the power forward position. This due to his ability to stretch the floor and defensive potential particularly at guarding outside the paint.

Like all bigs who can play either the power forward or center position, he suits the position-less NBA and movement to small ball.

Specifics:

Height: 7’0 ”

Weight: 230 lbs

Wingspan: 7’1″

Position: Power Forward, Center

Age:  19 years, 6 months

Statline:  10 points, 5.9 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.5 steals, 1.8  blocks

College: Gonzaga (freshman)

Home Town: North Las Vegas, Nevada

Current rankings:

Please note, rankings come from versions as of the time of writing. However, not all mock drafts provide second-round ranks or updates. Due to this if rankings change after posting it’s likely due to updates and a shift in the rankings.

DraftExpress: 13th overall prospect

NBA DraftNet: 11th

Scott Howard-Cooper nba.com: 11th

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor: 11th

CBS Sports: 11th

Basketball Insiders: 12th

Hoops Hype: 11th

Jeremy Woo SI.com, The Crossover: 11th

Skills:

Zach Collins displays a versatile offensive skill set which includes being able to score in the paint through a variety of moves and above-average footwork. Though the paint is his preference his shooting ability allows him to extend beyond to the field. His shot attempts in the field, while low, hit their mark especially on his preferred right side (71.4 percent). Ironically his perimeter shot was more successful from the left side where he connected on 50 percent of the 20 attempts he made.

Due to this offensive versatility, he becomes a difficult guard which subsequently allows him to draw copious fouls.  He’s also capable of playing both frontcourt positions and in the new position-less NBA this is an invaluable asset.

Defensively he has the ability to grow into a top team defender with the ability to rebound, block shots, and guard both in and outside the paint. He’s agile for a big man as the following video’s showcase he uses this skill to defend laterally.

Some analysts felt Zach Collins wasted too many opportunities trying to block shots instead of making the correct defensive play. However, teaching a player to be aggressive is far more difficult than dialing them back to utilize their effort in a more logical way.

Weaknesses:

Like many young centers, Zach Collins displays bad habits. In virtually every video he pulls the ball down low prior to going up to score. Moreover, he is far too quick to bite on pump fakes. This poses a greater problem when he plays the center role. Add to this his lack of strength and size under the rim. Although 7′ his wingspan is only 7’1″ which translates when he fails to finish in close. All these factors will allow existing NBA centers’ major advantages to push him easily off the block and pump fake to draw fouls.

He’ll need to work closely with the development staff on whatever team he lands on to work away from these bad habits.  Few centers display a natural propensity for high basketball I.Q. though his effort and motor do seem to point to his potential.

He’ll also need to work on his playmaking skills particularly under the basket.

Honors and awards:

• 2017 NCAA All Freshman-Team
• 2017 All-Conference second team
• Participant in 2016 McDonald’s All-American Game Participant
• 2016  Nevada High School Player of the Year

Pro Comparison:

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• Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer provided a ceiling comparison for each of his prospects. O’Connor’s list for Zach Collins offers some heady picks including Serge Ibaka, Marc Gasol, and Jason Smith.

The team who drafts him no doubt will be praying he lives up to the first two on the list rather than the latter.  As with any prospect who they become is dependent entirely on the player’s work ethic, but the potential for a team to draft a 2-way player of Collins height and skill is alluring.

The fit:

A bit of a quandary for Sam Presti given the numerous bigs already on the roster. Domantas Sabonis represents a similar player who can play either frontcourt position and has developed nicely through his rookie season. Enes Kanter, Steven Adams, Nick Collison, and Taj Gibson are the other players on the roster but the latter two are free agents. If Presti isn’t keen to bring back Gibson Collins could offer a tantalizing prospect to trade up for.  His ability to stretch the floor and hit from the perimeter are both areas missing within the Thunder bigs. Sabonis initially demonstrated range but was used less in this manner as the season progressed.

No prospect is a sure thing, but Presti should take a long hard look at Collins as his upside is enticing.