The Atlanta Hawks are correctly being cautious with John Collins

The Atlanta Hawks are a team that needs their highest-paid and longest-tenured player on the court at the moment. However, John Collins is currently on the sidelines with a foot injury which saw him miss the last three games prior to the All-Star break.

Collins is having one of his best all-around seasons where he is really settling into his role of being what his team needs. He was a 20 point, 10 rebound player early in his career but has realized that he does not have to bring that every night as the team is structured in such a way that there are now so many contributors.

With that being said the Hawks are a totally different franchise when Collins is at his aggressive best. The way he can lift his teammates and the crowd with an alley-oop or a putback dunk is beyond question. The way he helps the Hawks’ offense, even when he is not scoring, is crucial to the team’s game plan.

The Atlanta Hawks are taking the cautious route with John Collins

Collins has been battling injuries for the last few weeks before the All-Star break. His shoulder had us questioning whether he should be playing against the Toronto Raptors in the second night of a back-to-back. Well, play he did and he showed why he is so highly valued as a player for the Hawks.

This shows just how serious the heel is, if he could play through it, Collins would, such is the dedication that he has for the team and his teammates. However, the fact that he was able to get rest and treatment on his heel through the All-Star break is a benefit to the Hawks as well, given that he missed fewer games thanks to the break.

Collins is crucial for the success of the team. Whether it is his rim protection, 3-point shooting, rebounding, screening, or the multitude of other things he does for the team, Collins just makes the Hawks better.

He also allows Danilo Gallinari, the most important member of the second unit to go back to the bench. This makes the Hawks’ second unit one of the hardest to defend. Collins is also a viable option to play with the second unit, which shows his ability to be flexible in his role.

The Hawks are resting him up to make sure that he is ready to go for the Hawks playoff push which they will be primed for when he returns.