NBA Mock Draft 2017, Week 17: Portland uses three first round picks
By Chris Stone
Learn more about John Collins at The Step Back."
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John Collins
PF, Wake Forest
The Miami Heat — once projected to pick in the top five of this draft — have played themselves out of the lottery and into playoff position. In the middle of the first round, they can take a shot on Wake Forest’s John Collins, a power forward who has put up incredible numbers as a sophomore. Collins is averaging 29.5 points and 15.1 rebounds per 40 minutes this season while shooting 62.1 percent from the field. Those are ridiculous numbers for any player, let alone one that averages 25.9 minutes per game.
Collins is an excellent rebounder with a high motor. At 6-foot-10, he’s a bit of a tweener, but his rebounding should still translate to the next level. This season, he’s grabbing 25.6 percent of available defensive boards and 16.9 percent of available offensive rebounds. Collins has also posted a 7.1 percent block rate, although with his size, it’s not clear how well that will translate.
On offense, Collins is skilled enough in the post, but will hopefully be more of a pick-and-roll threat in the NBA. He’s flashed a mid-range jump shot and gets to the foul line at a high rate.