Portland Trail Blazers: Is a Zach Collins breakout looming?

Watch his three-point stroke and ability to dribble inside improve

Last season, Collins shot 31.0 percent on 1.7 three-point attempts per game. These aren’t lights-out numbers by any means, but it points to a stoke that has promise. It was also a shot that defenders respected last season.

Collins made a lot of drives happen by defenders committing to his outside shot, only to pump-fake and get in close for a smooth lay-up.

If Collins can up this number to around 35 or 36 percent, he will be a true threat from outside. These kinds of numbers will make defenders only respect his shot that much more and allow him to get even more creative off the dribble – something he showed a lot of ability to do in his rookie season, even for a seven-footer.

With a developing outside stroke, he will begin making bigs have to choose a lesser of two options: stick with him outside or risk getting embarrassed on a close-out. If the seven-footer can get other bigs to follow him out to the arc and bite on his fakes, he will have an easier time finishing against wingers and guards.

Collins could also become a supplemental passer

Collins showed flashes of making plays from the high-post like Nurkic has. With an improved and confident shot from the midrange, these types of passing lanes will open for him, and we could see Collins become even more confident as a passer.

I’d like to see the Blazers run some actions for Collins where he has a couple decisions to make, as he showed an ability to be a smart passer throughout last year. Like becoming a better help defender, getting more reps from these types of actions could unlock Collins’s court awareness.

He may be dropping in clever passes to cutters in no time.