Zach Collins focusing on three-point shooting in practice

Zach Collins’ Las Vegas Summer League debut is much-anticipated for Blazers fans. With so many eyes on him, he looks to shoot the lights out.

With an offseason drawing comparisons to monotony of the 2017 NBA playoffs, the only move the Blazers made is trading up for Gonzaga center Zach Collins.

This move up required a draft night trade with the Sacramento Kings. They swapped the 15^th and 20^th pick for a lottery spot at No. 10.

Cap space limitations might keep Collins, along with rookie Caleb Swanigan as the only offseason additions. Don’t sleep on marquee pickup Cash Considerations, though.

The new rookie is quickly becoming a popular target of Blazer fans, and one story caught the eyes of many. Oregonian beat writer Mike Richman tweeted this on Friday afternoon:

Immediately after Adam Silver announced the 10^th pick, Blazer fans began drawing comparisons between Collins and Meyers Leonard. Some thought them meeting would be like this Spiderman meme.

Richman’s tweet only solidified the two big men’s similarities. But, Collins developing a three-point shot can only be beneficial for Portland.

The big man expanding his range

In his single season at Gonzaga, 39 games resulted in just 21 attempted three-pointers. While 10 of those hit the bottom of the net, Collins’ offensive game rarely included shots from beyond the arc.

In the final minutes of one summer practice with Portland, he took 25, passing a season’s worth in college.

But why would the Blazers focus on three-point shooting with a player so comfortable and efficient below the rim?

Obviously the league is transitioning to a three-point dominant era; championship-caliber teams like the Warriors and Cavaliers are premier shooting teams. Each ranked in the top five for most threes attempted per contest last season.

Portland came in at 10^th in the league, but adding another three-point threat can’t hurt a team so reliant on the shot.

Looking deeper, expanding Collins’ range might foreshadow the coupling of him and Jusuf Nurkić later on in the season. Evident in a lack of success alongside Nikola Jokic, Nurkic doesn’t share the paint nicely with teammates.

After being traded to Rip City, his player efficiency rating, along with virtually every other stat (courtesy of Basketball-Reference) improved dramatically. Nurkić owned the key in Portland, a team that often runs a small ball lineup.

Two seven-footers on the court may result in the same conundrum Denver encountered last year. But with Collins practicing threes, this suggests a test of the pairing down the line.

Next: Pat Connaughton may have Blazer days numbered

Portland kicks off their Summer League season Saturday at 3:30 p.m. against the Utah Jazz. Watch for Collins attempting more outside shots than during his brief college career.

Without Nurk to man the paint, however, Collins may find his way under the rim in order to lead a diverse Blazer Summer League squad to victory.