As the Portland Trail Blazers regular season concludes, Zach Collins is making a case for playoff minutes.
Only 12 games separate the Portland Trail Blazers from the 2019 NBA postseason. But unlike other playoff-bound teams, this club may have more space to tinker with their rotations down the stretch. Over the last few contests, second-year big man Zach Collins has taken advantage of his opportunities and may factor into the lineup as the games matter more.
The Gonzaga product was touted as an important piece for this season. A seven-footer with an eclectic skillset, both Head Coach Terry Stotts and Collins himself felt he may factor into the starting lineup this year. However, after an inconsistent first-half of the season, Collins fell from prominence. By early February, Collins had become a spottier part of the rotation and oftentimes found himself coming in behind Meyers Leonard for 10-15 minutes each night.
Following the acquisitions of Rodney Hood and Enes Kanter at the trade deadline, Stotts has had more chances to experiment with different combinations. And with CJ McCollum going down with a left knee strain even more recently, the minutes available for those chances have only grown. Collins has become part of these experiments more and more.
Maybe it was his explosive showing against the Golden State Warriors just before the All-Star break that kept him at the forefront of Stotts’s mind. His four point, five rebound, and three block performance netted him a +21 plus-minus. His defensive tenacity got into the heads of both the Hamptons Five’s most laidback (Klay Thompson) and aggressive (Draymond Green) stars. No doubt, this Bulldog-type performance is the kind that could help swing games in Portland’s favor on any stage.
Since, Collins has appeared in eight of the club’s last 13 games. For the most part, he’s provided quiet but effective performances. But his last two games have been particularly impressive.
Against both the New Orleans Pelicans and Indiana Pacers, he made a bigger stamp on the game. In New Orleans, he swatted four shots and finished with a +11 net rating; facing Indiana, he blocked two shots and finished with a +13.
More and more, he is fitting better into an identity that could help as a third big man for this Portland team. While Jusuf Nurkic is a solid interior defender and scorer, he lacks range with his shot and mobility on the perimeter. Enes Kanter is a vicious rebounder and offensive post presence, but he consistently gets lost on pick-and-roll coverage.
Collins is the quickest of the three laterally, and this helps him defend on the perimeter and in pick-and-roll. His length make him a perfect shot disruptor whenever an opponent attacks. And although he has yet to hit a three since All-Star, his shot appears more trustworthy than Nurkic or Kanter’s and may provide more spacing for the Blazers’ guards.
Of course, Collins lacks the strength to be a serious threat in the low-post on offense. And he certainly does not have the high-post passing ability that Nurkic does. However, Collins could slot in as a five or four that does the little things and relinquishes control on offense to his higher-powered players.
And lately, this seems to be the plan: to get away from Collins as a scoring option and highlight him as a defender. More regularly, Collins is finding time alongside Kanter or Nurkic, creating a giant frontcourt that can cover for the others’ limitations.
Although Collins may sit in April in favor of a smaller rotation of more experienced players, he is taking advantage of his recent opportunities. He has looked more like a defensive-minded center who is developing his offensive moves. Earlier this season, he almost seemed too concerned with the wrong side of the ball – his defense is what will keep him on the floor.
The playoffs are quickly approaching. Should Collins remain effective in his current role, he may play an important and specific 10 minutes each night against the Western Conference’s best.