What’s the ceiling for emerging rookie John Collins?

The Atlanta Hawks’ 19th overall pick John Collins is 9 games into his professional NBA career and he has already opened the eyes of many around the association with his potential.

So much is made of a player being “NBA ready”, or being able to jump into a team’s rotation straight out of college and make an impact and give the fans something to cheer for. That’s exactly what John Collins has done in his short time in Atlanta.

Our 6’10” big man isn’t afraid of the moment, and he seeks out the game just as it comes to him naturally. So far, he has been an exciting presence off the bench, averaging 20.3 minutes per game and putting up 10.6 points and 7.8 boards. He already has a couple double-doubles and is showing signs of that being his calling card moving forward.

Related Story: Atlanta Hawks rookies impress in loss to Rockets

And don’t forget about the dunks. John Collins dunks give us all life, and we all need more of them.

He certainly still has some rookie jitters, as do most of the freshmen around the league, and that’s to be expected. His ability to learn from his mistakes and continue to sweep the glass on the offensive end and be an anchor down low on defense will help the Hawks in the long run.

So, what’s the ceiling for the former Demon Deacon?

Some have him labeled as a double-double machine that will be an invaluable bench piece for the team in future. A sixth man that can come in and absolutely turn a game around with his post play and high energy tempo.

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Others see him graduating past the bench and making the starting spot his as soon as next season, although the minutes would roughly be the same, he would be allowed to face up against some of the truly elite frontcourts of the NBA, and prove his worth.

And then there’s All-Rookie First Team. It’s certainly not without reach and with the amount of playing time he is getting he can continue to showcase his talent and convince the association that he belongs in that timeless group of 5 rookies that represent the future of the NBA.

What about the Rookie of the Year debate? Yes, we know. This year’s rookies have been nothing short of spectacular all-around, but at the end of the day there is one that makes the biggest impact and shows that his rookie campaign was the best, plain and simple.

Right now, Collins is something of a dark horse in a race with the likes of Ben Simmons, Lauri Markkanen, Dennis Smith Jr., Jayson Tatum, etc. Like we said, this year’s rookies are another breed, they have taken this league by storm and are not giving it up any time soon.

But Collins can hold his own. There’s no reason to doubt that over the course of the season he can turn into a player that puts up around 15 points a night and grabs 10 or 12 rebounds. Those kinds of numbers paired with the nuances of game, *cough* ferocious dunks *cough*, will surely attract a lot of attention to the young man.

Next: Atlanta Hawks will rely on roster depth vs. the Cavaliers

This afternoon he looks toward a tough battle in Cleveland who will feature a roster sans bench big man Tristan Thompson. Collins will look to take this opportunity to impose his will over the second unit and be efficient in grabbing rebounds to give the Hawks every chance to win. They tip off at the Quicken Loans Arena at 3:00pm EST and can be watched on FSSE-ATL.