Atlanta Hawks: John Collins early fouls have the potential to hurt the team
The Atlanta Hawks know how good John Collins is. They paid him $125.0 million over five seasons which shows their belief in the Wake Forest alum. He is able to make the 3-ball, has the ability to raise the roof with a huge dunk or two a game, and his rim protection is improving.
However, Collins has an area of concern that he needs to address as the season progresses, he is getting into foul trouble early and losing the rhythm of the game. Against the Pistons this was not a huge concern, they ended up winning in a big way and Collins was able to stay out of foul trouble in the second half. He ended with 22 points and seven rebounds.
In the loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Collins got into foul trouble early and was not able to recover, scoring only six points but was able to redeem himself a little with 12 rebounds. The problem in this game is that without Danilo Gallinari and Onyeka Okongwu, the Hawks cannot afford to go another big man down, especially against the Cavaliers’ front line of 7-footers.
The Atlanta Hawks need John Collins on the court at the critical moments
While Collins is not the best player on the team, his presence on the court is vital. He has an X-factor which can change the course of a game in a single play, but the problem is that if he is not out there, he cannot do that.
A prime example of this was the second game in the playoff series against the New York Knicks. This was the only game in the series that the Hawks lost which says something about how important Collins is to the team.
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Without him on the floor, the Hawks are less dangerous at both ends of the floor. Collins needs to figure out how to keep his current level of aggressiveness while not fouling so that he can stay on the court to help the team.