2017 NBA Mock Draft: The 76ers lock up a point guard

The obvious question with Gonzaga’s Zach Collins coming off the board to the Denver Nuggets at No. 13 is a simple one: can the big man co-exist with building block Nikola Jokic? Two big lineups are trending out of style in the modern NBA, but they aren’t impossible to work with if the pieces fit right.

For Collins and Jokic, making things work starts with the Gonzaga product’s defensive abilities. The 7-footer is a terrific rim protector who averaged 4.1 blocks per 40 minutes last season. He shows good instincts and an excellent understanding of verticality. That skill set will compliment Jokic, a big man who provides little resistance at the rim. Collins has also shown the ability to guard a bit on the perimeter. He has plenty of lateral mobility, but would likely be played off the floor against some smaller lineups. That’s a difficult spot for the Nuggets.

On offense, Collins should add enough floor spacing to his game to make things work. While he only took 21 3-pointers as a freshman, the shooting stroke is nice and his free throw percentage is solid. Assuming the jump shot comes along, spacing won’t be a big problem. Collins also has the post moves to punish switches and can work comfortably as a dive man in pick-and-roll.