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Those of you who watch virtually every NJ game, I'm hoping to get some information.

As a defensive center, perhaps a veteran backup, would Collins be worth having? [Please ignore the contractual fact that he's overpaid.] My pursuit is to determine whether or not he could be usable as a player, if you took his contract off of Memphis hands as a favor, to gain other considerations from them.

I understand he has a good reputation as a team leader off the court.

My IMPRESSION from limited observation (which I recognize may or may not be accurate) is that he is a good solid center, won't create shots but can catch-and-score if left alone, doesn't turn the ball over. If you depend on him to shoot, he sucks. On the defensive end he is solid and effective against skilled offensive big men.

Am I close? Please help me out. Thanks.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but he's a shell of his former self (I guess it is possible). Just doesn't play the great post defensive game he used to. I think it all started when he decided to lose weight the last two offseasons. Big bodies that backed down Collins now just have more success. Loves to stay in the paint too much and like Magloire, gets called for those 3 seconds and stupid fouls.

He was able to hit shots when left alone years ago but recently he hasn't able to hit anything , maybe the rim but thats it .

He can still a be good post defender and very smart on the court but anything but a dunk or open layup is all what's left on offense .

You need 4 offensive players on the court then he can be somekind of effective with setting screens and doing the little things , but don't count on anything more .

The problem is like Rich wrote he did many mistakes this year while doing these little things . Many many turnover resulted in these mistakes that costed games .

He's an experienced 7 footer stiff. I can see his role as a 5 minute player every other game, who gives starters and energy bigs a blow. Something like Elden Campbell at the very end of his career, or Aaron Williams type role.

Thanks guys.

I think he is a good player he has a very high basketball IQ and He knows how to play defense. His defense and his little offense is still there but the way lawrence frank coach is horrible. So he does bad. Lawrence frank crontrols our player wayyy too much he makes everyone have a role and all the players can do is their role nothing else. That's why collins doesn't shoot the ball at all he the only thing he can do is straight up D and flop thats his role

He looks depressed in Memphis , someone got to save him

Collins is an average man to man defender but an above average help defender. He is not an athletic big man by any stretch of the imagination but he has good basketball IQ which helps him overcome that. I'm pretty sure he has led the Nets the past few years with drawing offense fouls...which points to good positioning. He's big body and basketball IQ are his best assets. He has minimal offensive skills...almost none to speak of. He is a smart player whose role now is probably best relegated as a backup C and also playing against true post up centers.

A player better suited for the NBA of a few years ago... it's too fast for him at this point.

Has regressed since coming into the L... lost his jumpshot and any touch around the basket as the years went on. Solid defensive player against certain bigs - see: Chris Bosh.

Would be a decent backup center / power forward in the right situation.

FGump wrote:Those of you who watch virtually every NJ game, I'm hoping to get some information.

As a defensive center, perhaps a veteran backup, would Collins be worth having? [Please ignore the contractual fact that he's overpaid.] My pursuit is to determine whether or not he could be usable as a player, if you took his contract off of Memphis hands as a favor, to gain other considerations from them.

I understand he has a good reputation as a team leader off the court.

My IMPRESSION from limited observation (which I recognize may or may not be accurate) is that he is a good solid center, won't create shots but can catch-and-score if left alone, doesn't turn the ball over. If you depend on him to shoot, he sucks. On the defensive end he is solid and effective against skilled offensive big men.

Am I close? Please help me out. Thanks.

overall, you're pretty accurate...as Rich stated, its funny saying that he is a shell of his former self...but I believe its truly mainly due to the miles on his body and how that has slowed him down (not that he was super fast)...

Him and Battier were two of the best in the league at taking charges...but again, I believe his mobility has decresed...and mistakes on the floor have become more frequent...

Though I would not suggest Collins in a move for what your looking for...He has high basketball IQ, knows how to play defense (including positioning, weak side help-team defense), he's not intimidated by any PF/C in NBA and will never back down...moves the ball well and will find the open man...and has decent hands around the basket both w/ put backs and rebounds...

I just havent seen that total package combined with the consistency which was always there, in over a year and a half...

I think his regression is part of the reason a lot of the fans really turned on him. Thinking back to the first trip in the Finals, Collins really showed promise and played Shaq better than any of our bigs did. The strong bulky guys that pushed people around (like Curry, Shaq) had problems because of his pesky defense.

But he's really regressed. He came in as a 70-80% FT shooter. He's probably a 50% shooter now. He used to be able to nail a mid-range jump shot, that's gone now. Despite the experience and being a smart player (overall), he still has a penchant for setting illegal screens.

He really just doesn't give a team anything offensively now aside from boxing out and setting screens. In today's game where the offense is more free-flowing (for most teams not based in New Jersey lol), it's just too difficult to play 4-on-5 no matter what intangibles he brings.

SpeedyG wrote:I think his regression is part of the reason a lot of the fans really turned on him. Thinking back to the first trip in the Finals, Collins really showed promise and played Shaq better than any of our bigs did. The strong bulky guys that pushed people around (like Curry, Shaq) had problems because of his pesky defense.

But he's really regressed. He came in as a 70-80% FT shooter. He's probably a 50% shooter now. He used to be able to nail a mid-range jump shot, that's gone now. Despite the experience and being a smart player (overall), he still has a penchant for setting illegal screens.

He really just doesn't give a team anything offensively now aside from boxing out and setting screens. In today's game where the offense is more free-flowing (for most teams not based in New Jersey lol), it's just too difficult to play 4-on-5 no matter what intangibles he brings.

That's pretty much it. It was only a few seasons ago he was called "Set Shot Willy". Is it his knees ?

If not I can't understand how you go your first 4 years in the league shooting around 70% to suddenly drop off to 50% & below since....and why you can't suddenly hit open jump shots.

You knew it would be a disaster when the Nets ran high screen & roll plays with him because teams would just double the ball handler and dare the Nets to pass the ball to Collins and see if Collins could make his offensive move before the help defense rotated to him.

Give him credit for being a professional & realistic about his demotion this year.