Future Watch: John Collins Rookie Basketball Cards, HawksFuture Watch: John Collins Rookie Basketball Cards, Hawks – Basketball fans in Atlanta have seen a lot of change over the past few years. What was once a perennial Eastern Conference playoff team has now become a rebuilding franchise. Lucky for Hawks fans, they have a capable coach and leader in Mike Budenholzer. With a pedigree that involves working under Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, Hawks fans know they can trust their head coach to teach and motivate the team. Knowing that, the Hawks went into the 2017 NBA Draft looking for ways to improve the roster in all places. Despite having the 19th pick overall, Atlanta came away with a forward they fell can be a part of their future.

John Collins was born in Layton, Utah and relocated to Florida before his prep career began. At Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach, he was a three-time letter winner, improving his game each season. During his senior year, he was named Florida Class 4A Player of the Year and posted 20.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. As a recruit, Rivals and Scout both rated the 6’10” forward at three stars, with ESPN giving him a four-star rating. Collins would elect to play college basketball for the University of Wake Forest.

Collins appeared in all 31 games for the Demon Deacons his Freshman year. He averaged 7.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, but only saw one start. He really came alive in his second season, starting in all 33 games and averaging 19.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. This earned him recognition as the 2016-17 ACC Most Improved Player and he was named first-team all-ACC. After earning a bit of attention from NBA scouts his sophomore year, Collins entered the NBA draft.

This season, Collins is averaging 23.1 minutes per game. Enough for the rookie to see extended action, but not enough to rely on him for extended production. In Atlanta’s first 17 games, these minutes all came off the bench. With injuries to the team’s starting frontcourt, Collins has seen starts in his previous four games. So far this season, he’s averaging 11.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Most recently, he’s been sitting out with a sprained shoulder and should return to action in mid-to-late December.

Collins is a gifted scorer in the post and has shown impressive touch and footwork around the rim. Like any rookie, he’ll need to grow as a defender. He does not possess an elite wingspan despite his height, so adding strength will be a factor in his development. He played mostly inside the arc in college, and the modern NBA will likely force him develop an average shot from outside. So far, he has looked great in limited action and should be given plenty of time to develop for the Hawks.

John Collins already has some great autographed rookie cards in the market. They can be found in 2017 Panini Contenders Collegiate Draft Picks Basketball. As a top draft pick, collectors can be assured to find NBA licensed rookie cards of Collins in the complete portfolio of 2017-18 Panini NBA basketball card products during the 2017-18 NBA season.

Future Watch: John Collins Rookie Basketball Cards, Hawks – Other Resources

Future Watch: John Collins Rookie Basketball Cards, Hawks – Image Gallery

Here’s a look at cards featuring John Collins in his Atlanta Hawks uniform.

James Gale

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