OKC Thunder NBA Draft prospect series: John Collins

Mar 14, 2017; Dayton, OH, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Danny Manning talks to forward John Collins (20) in the first half against the Kansas State Wildcats in the first four of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Dayton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

Yet another big destined for the middle of the first round, John Collins of Wake Forest has experienced his stock rising as the NBA draft nears.

John Collins must be impressing scouts as his stock is on a continual ascent up mock draft boards. His rapid growth at Wake Forest had him winning Most Improved NCAA player which points to his motor and work ethic. Much like Enes Kanter scouts seem him as having the potential to become a solid offensive weapon. Looking at his current ranking it may be Miami are interested in the young big.

Specifics:

Height: 6’10 ”

Weight: 225lbs

Wingspan: 6’11.75″

Position: power forward

Age: 19 years, 7 months

Statline: 19.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.6 blocks

College: Wake Forest (sophomore)

Home Town: West Palm Beach, Florida

Current rankings:

Please note, rankings come from versions as of 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: 14th overall prospect

NBA DraftNet: 18th

Scott Howard-Cooper nba.com: 15th

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor: 18th

CBS Sports: 13th

Basketball Insiders: 20th

Hoops Hype: 14th

Jeremy Woo SI.com, The Crossover: 19th

Skills:

Interestingly Collins stock seems to be climbing despite concerns over his lack of reach, wing span and defensive liabilities. Entering the combine he was among a few prospects scouts were keenly interested in given his offensive growth. Draft Express provides the following as testament on why he drew such attention:

"Collins’ advanced scoring instincts will undoubtedly come in handy in all kinds of miscellaneous situations, be it as a cutter, pick and roll finisher, offensive rebounder, or rim-runner in transition. He is a high energy player who has excellent hands, even when at his top speed, and is quick off the ground to finish above the rim. This has helped him convert an outstanding 69.2% of his attempts around the basket according to Synergy Sports Technology. He finishes strong at the rim and doesn’t shy away from contact, attempting ten free throws per 40 minutes, the second best rate in our Top-100."

Weaknesses:

John Collins limitations will be tied to his lack of reach and wing span particularly given the size of pros he’ll be lined up against. Defensively he struggles also due to his physical limitations, but this is punctuated by his poor choices on court. Although this could be offset by his eagerness to learn and willingness to put the work in.

In the new position-less NBA Collins could potentially play both frontcourt positions, but again his physical limitations may force him into the power forward role. Although he showed great growth offensively he’s yet to show the ability to stretch his shot out to the perimeter. Until he’s able to do that or becomes capable of forcing his will against larger competition he’ll likely be stuck in the weight room.

Honors and awards:

ACC Most Improved Player, 2017
ACC All Conference First Time, 2017

Pro Comparison:

More from Thunderous Intentions

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer provided a ceiling comparison for each of his prospects. O’Connor’s list pegs Collins ceiling as Enes Kanter, Al Jefferson, or J.J. Hickson.

OKC Thunder are familiar with Kanter, so it’s easy to see why Collins is climbing charts given his offensive abilities.

The fit:

Depending on what Sam Presti has in mind for Enes Kanter the option of looking at John Collins as his replacement exists. Still, with Collins rapid ascent up the mock drafts it’s a likely indicator a team in the lottery saw something they like and have earmarked him as their selection. It won’t behoove Sam Presti to trade up for him if he’s already another franchise target, nor would it address the biggest gap in the OKC Thunder roster. For this reason it’s unlikely Collins will be heading toward Oklahoma City come June 22.

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