Atlanta Hawks: 5 Bold Predictions for John Collins in 2018-19
By Chris Guest
John Collins Will Lead Hawks in Blocks (Again) and Finish Top 10 in Total Blocks
Perhaps this isn’t the boldest claim on this list, but assuming more minutes and more starts, it’s pretty safe to assume that the rookie-season returns on John Collins’s shot-blocking ability will continue to trend upward.
As a rookie, JC led the Atlanta Hawks with 80 total blocks, 1.1 blocks per game and a hearty 3.8 block rate. The block rate is the only one that ranked among the league leaders across the entire NBA last season – sliding in at #16 in a tie with Serge Ibaka.
Simply look at Ibaka’s total blocks from last year (99), and you get a vague idea of how JC’s blocks total will look. However, we’re assuming that Collins will play 2200+ minutes, while Ibaka only saw 2093.
Again, if you bake in minutes played, natural year-over-year improvement as well as the sophomore season bump, Collins has a very good chance to block over 110 shots – safely ensconcing himself in the top 10 in that category in the NBA.
If he does that, there’s no question he’ll lead the Atlanta Hawks, though he will likely do that even if he doesn’t hit that lofty, triple-digit prediction.