John Collins Impresses at NBA Summer League

It will probably come as no surprise to anybody who has consistently read Blogger So Dear, or followed Wake basketball over the past two years, but John Collins is really good at basketball. Now people who do not fall in those categories above are getting the chance to find out.

Collins was drafted 19th in the NBA Draft to the Atlanta Hawks, and started NBA Summer League play last week. Let’s just say he picked up exactly where he left off at Wake Forest.

In his first game with the Hawks, Collins put up 8 points and 11 rebounds against the New Jersey Nets. He followed that up with a terrific 22 point, 10 rebound, 2 assist game against the New Orleans Pelicans. In this game he went 9/11 from the field, and also demonstrated some freakish athleticism to introduce himself to the NBA.

This caught the eye of a lot of different people, as Collins was the major force in the victory.

With the departure of Paul Millsap to the Denver Nuggets, Collins has an excellent chance to get a lot of playing time, and perhaps start on a team that is likely in a rebuilding mode. Collins hit three mid-range jumpers yesterday and also showed the ability to get up and down the court smoothly in transition.

The big question will continue to be his defense and foul trouble, but as he showed yesterday, the offensive game is holding up against other rookies, as well as some league vets trying to make a team.

We are extremely proud to see Collins continue to ball out on this level and can’t wait to see what he does once the regular season starts!