3. John Collins, Atlanta Hawks
All the love this past season regarding the Atlanta Hawks fell, and perhaps rightfully so, at the feet of rookie sensation Trae Young. He nearly won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award, had it not been for the absurd season we saw from Luka Doncic. But one of the most overlooked players on the team – and entire league for that matter – from last season was John Collins, who took a big leap during his sophomore season with the Hawks.
Collins added a somewhat reliable 3-point stroke to his arsenal while vastly expanding his offensive game and both he and Young established themselves as the future core of this Hawks team.
The best thing about Collins and his progression is the fact that he can still take another step this upcoming season.
Playing with a point guard like Young will help tremendously – especially since the two already have great chemistry with one another – on the offensive end. Also, after growing into a more central offensive role, I expect Collins to be even more comfortable as a focal point in 2019-20.
Another area I expect him to show improvement in is his defense which will become all the more important as Atlanta becomes more competitive.
I expect john Collins to average around 22 points and 10 boards, possibly competing for his first all-star appearance in the process during his third season in the NBA.