Buy Low On Zach Collins Now!!!

[scott]

TBF, Collins was actually looking decent during the 22-23 season, especially at the end after Jak was traded. He was scoring well, shooting very well for a big, passed really well especially from the high post up tot he 3 point line. His defence was overrated then, but still better than what it is now. Then the wheels just fell off. It's not like he got his bag and relaxed, at least he looked like he's still trying, but he just can't play anymore.

$17.5M for a low end starting centre seems reasonable, but he is playing like a mid/low end backup big now. At the $17.5M or so mark, I would much rather have Jak ($19.5), Jusuf Nurkic, or even Rui Hachimura. To put it in context, Patrick Williams, who doesn't play anymore, makes $18.5M, and Bertans, who is arguably a worse defender than Zollins, is making $16. So the deal may be bad, but it doesn't seem to be disastrous. Besides, it's not like the Spurs are over the cap or anything. I don't see the need to get rid of Zollins just to get rid of him and lose assets (unless you are talking about that mountain of 2nd rounders), just ride it out, use the expiring as an asset to help some other team in a 3 team trades, while not playing him much.

I wouldn’t have a problem with this if we just stopped playing him like he’s the unquestioned, solid backup C. Even though Bassey has inconsistent moments, on the whole he has proven better than Collins when given the opportunity. Yet Pop and Mitch just keep going back to Collins. I do see that starting to change of late and hopefully it was just Mitch easing in the transition and giving Zach a chance.

If Bassey can prove capable of being the primary backup C (and stay healthy all year), we could do something like 3/18 for him and pickup a cheap 3rd big in FA or the draft or even just keep Zach as an expiring if no trades emerge. But if Bassey proves not quite ready then we need to address backup C going into next season.

[poopbox]

All Atl Spur team:

Zach Collins
Luka Sammy
Josh Primo
Walker IV
Tomas Satoransky

We could been lowkey stacked

Forget about some posters fascination with "da big point guard"

[ambchang]

I wouldn’t have a problem with this if we just stopped playing him like he’s the unquestioned, solid backup C. Even though Bassey has inconsistent moments, on the whole he has proven better than Collins when given the opportunity. Yet Pop and Mitch just keep going back to Collins. I do see that starting to change of late and hopefully it was just Mitch easing in the transition and giving Zach a chance.

If Bassey can prove capable of being the primary backup C (and stay healthy all year), we could do something like 3/18 for him and pickup a cheap 3rd big in FA or the draft or even just keep Zach as an expiring if no trades emerge. But if Bassey proves not quite ready then we need to address backup C going into next season.

I know you are the founding member and current chair of the Charles Bassey fan club, so please don’t take it wrong, I don’t think CB will ever be a reliable enough big on the spurs. My problem with him is that he is a predominantly a reactions based player. He’s very good at it but he just seems to have trouble running sets. True he doesn’t play much in games but he’s been practicing, or at least hanging out with the big club for a year and a bit, with a very limited role so I’d expect him to pick up most of his duties pretty well, but he just keeps defaulting go his athleticism and reactions, which is why he’d have great games then terrible games. It is alway why he dominates in g leagues. His athleticism is far better than most people there, but the big boys run sets.

He is still great as a third string centre and would be fantastic as a change of pace 8 min a game guy. I don’t trust him as a full time backup, yet. We will see.

[scott]

I know you are the founding member and current chair of the Charles Bassey fan club, so please don’t take it wrong, I don’t think CB will ever be a reliable enough big on the spurs. My problem with him is that he is a predominantly a reactions based player. He’s very good at it but he just seems to have trouble running sets. True he doesn’t play much in games but he’s been practicing, or at least hanging out with the big club for a year and a bit, with a very limited role so I’d expect him to pick up most of his duties pretty well, but he just keeps defaulting go his athleticism and reactions, which is why he’d have great games then terrible games. It is alway why he dominates in g leagues. His athleticism is far better than most people there, but the big boys run sets.

He is still great as a third string centre and would be fantastic as a change of pace 8 min a game guy. I don’t trust him as a full time backup, yet. We will see.

I don’t even disagree with this, but he’s better than Colllins and I think (which might be the Fan Club Chairmanship speaking) that it’s worth giving it a try this season. He either proves he can do it, or we go out and acquire a different vet backup C by other means (I’m also the Chairman of the Get Jonas Club). I think your assessment is fair, and I’m curious if that’s just who Bassey is, or its a matter of his developmental path (fighting his way through the G League and garbage time, likely without the attention of the development staff that guys like Blake or Malaki have gotten)

[Atl Spur]

Forget about some posters fascination with "da big point guard"

No worries, we still ended up with one Happy Holidays

[The Truth #6]

If Sochan continues to improve, and hopefully gets a jump shot, our big man depth doesn't look so bad. More generally, there is no replacing Wemby, but if we are looking to get more bigs, I think versatile power forwards are more useful, and in that context, CB could be the other center, with the understanding that he wouldn't be expected to play big minutes, but could be situational for defending big oafish centers now and then.

I mean, Zollins was basically a power forward initially anyway. He's not really a classic center.

Put another way, I'd rather have spent Zollins money on someone else that was a more versatile big, and yes keep CB for cheap situational depth.

[ambchang]

I don’t even disagree with this, but he’s better than Colllins and I think (which might be the Fan Club Chairmanship speaking) that it’s worth giving it a try this season. He either proves he can do it, or we go out and acquire a different vet backup C by other means (I’m also the Chairman of the Get Jonas Club). I think your assessment is fair, and I’m curious if that’s just who Bassey is, or its a matter of his developmental path (fighting his way through the G League and garbage time, likely without the attention of the development staff that guys like Blake or Malaki have gotten)

Fair points. Respect you being an unabashed fan but can still be fair in your assessment. Agrees Collins can’t run sets on top of not being athletic. I’m actually surprised how badly Collins fell. He looked like a competent Hugh end bench guy at the end of 22-23 season.

Speaking of branham and Wesley. I’m still high on Wesley and think he has a lot of tools to help the team. Again the issue is shooting. Branham though, I’m ready to move on. There’s little to no progress.

As for Jonas, Th at would be wonderful, not sure is achievable.

[scott]

Fair points. Respect you being an unabashed fan but can still be fair in your assessment. Agrees Collins can’t run sets on top of not being athletic. I’m actually surprised how badly Collins fell. He looked like a competent Hugh end bench guy at the end of 22-23 season.

Speaking of branham and Wesley. I’m still high on Wesley and think he has a lot of tools to help the team. Again the issue is shooting. Branham though, I’m ready to move on. There’s little to no progress.

As for Jonas, Th at would be wonderful, not sure is achievable.

Blake has impressed me of late. There still might be a path for him, I agree!

[k830713]

Trade Collins - Jonas Valanciunas

[Gagnrath]

^ yeah the thing about Collins is he appears healthy, is clearly trying and is definitely a good teammate he just isn’t that good. For a team who has carried a ton of dead cap the last 5 yeara his deal really isn’t that taxing. Shame he can’t out it together though.

I think he is as healthy as he will ever be. That being said I don't think he is the player he was projected to be out of college. He lost a lot of bounce due to those injuries. His shooting touch went with it. (I think a combination of changed athleticism and not getting the sort of reps he was before.) I also don't think that even outside of the injuries he ever really was going to hit the peak of expectations that occasionally flashed before them. So you have a guy who was going to develop to a career peak of decent back-up, occasional starter for favorable match-ups or for a bad team. Also because of the injuries he became a center only instead of a guy who was getting minutes as both a PF and a center, as well as just as he was starting in the league you really stopped seeing the two conventional big line-ups almost entirely.