Does John Collins deserve to be an All Star this year?

atlantabbq99 · Post #1 » by **atlantabbq99** » Wed Jan 9, 2019 5:05 am

He has a slim chance. All Stars are selected by a combination of wins, stats, and politics, but Collins does have the stats.

Hawks don't have the wins, but if you look at PFs in the east, Collins stats have him as the 3rd best PF in the east, behind Giannis, and Griffin

High 5 · Post #2 » by **High 5** » Wed Jan 9, 2019 5:40 am

Only 7 players have ever put up 18/10 on 60% TS% or better and not made the All Star team. One in each of the last two years, Jokic and KAT, and then you have to go all the way back to Robert Parish in 89. Buck Williams, Charles Barkely, Jeff Ruland, and Artis Gilmore are the others. Great company if he does miss out.

Post #3 » by **Jamaaliver** » Wed Jan 9, 2019 3:00 pm

I don't want him to go this year and don't believe he will.

Young, unproven players don't get selected to AS Games. He'll go in the future and hopefully when our team is more competitive and he's a bigger part of the offense.

It'll mean more if it happens in his 3rd or 4th season on one of the best teams in the East.

(Let him dominate the Rookie-Sophomore game instead as a precursor of big things to come.)

hawkmanreturns · Post #4 » by **hawkmanreturns** » Wed Jan 9, 2019 3:21 pm

Jamaaliver wrote:I don't want him to go this year and don't believe he will.

Young, unproven players don't get selected to AS Games. He'll go in the future and hopefully when our team is more competitive and he's a bigger part of the offense.

It'll mean more if it happens in his 3rd or 4th season on one of the best teams in the East.

(Let him dominate the Rookie-Sophomore game instead as a precursor of big things to come.)

Besides Blake Griffin, is there a better Power Forward in the East than Collins right now? He may sneak in this season. I'm biased, but I think he deserves it. Bad team or not, he's playing All Star level basketball and his presence has lifted this team.

Post #5 » by **Jamaaliver** » Wed Jan 9, 2019 3:32 pm

hawkmanreturns wrote:Besides Blake Griffin, is there a better Power Forward in the East than Collins right now? He may sneak in this season. I'm biased, but I think he deserves it. Bad team or not, he's playing All Star level basketball and his presence has lifted this team.

Positions are more fluid in the AS selection process now.

I suspect Siakam, Middleton, Ibaka will be selected into the front court by the coaches.

Leaving Collins to be selected from a group with Jayson Tatum, Domantas Sabonis.

Collins certainly has the superior stats to any of those guys. But being a key cog on a winning team usually is the difference...at least in the East.

Post #6 » by **Atlanta Hawk Fan** » Wed Jan 9, 2019 3:38 pm

I think his missing the first few weeks of the season and the Hawks being a struggling team in a non-prime market will keep him out.

Post #7 » by **Jamaaliver** » Wed Jan 16, 2019 1:49 pm

Read on Twitter

John Collins Has Potential to Be Perennial All-Star

On that day, the second-year power forward out of Wake Forest scored 25 points, including the game-winning bucket, in a 123-121 upset win over the Philadelphia 76ers on the road. The 21-year-old experienced more offensive success Tuesday, as he made his first 11 shots en route to his 26-point night.

D.J. Foster of The Ringer offered lofty praise for Collins in a Jan. 9 piece, drawing some comparisons to ex-NBA power forward Chris Bosh. The former Toronto Raptor and Miami Heat player made 11 All-Star Games and averaged 19.2 points and 8.5 boards for his career.

Foster also said Collins has an "undoubtedly high" floor, and that's hard to argue after watching him of late. He's effortlessly contributing 20-point, 10-rebound stat lines and is also top 25 in the league in player efficiency rating among those who play at least 30 minutes per game, according to Basketball Reference.

The key point to remember is just how inexperienced Collins is on the NBA level. He hasn't even played the equivalent of 1.25 NBA seasons (102 games total), and yet he's taking down eventual playoff teams with monster performances in the paint. What is his ceiling when the Hawks build more around him, Trae Young and Kevin Huerter?

On an individual basis, that would seem to be a perennial All-Star, much like Bosh was during his heyday. From a team level, though, the Hawks could be making a precipitous rise up the standings within the next couple of seasons.

Bleacher Report

benhillboy · Post #8 » by **benhillboy** » Wed Jan 16, 2019 10:48 pm

I’ve seen All Stars who John could literally sit down and eat (Ilgauskus, Scerbiak lol) but I’d rather he earn it next year. He could’ve squeaked in had he been healthy all season but a much improved defensive profile (1.5 blocks and such) would make him a well-deserved lock next season if the Hawks can hover around the 8-10 seed.