Rookie Ladder: 5 rookies teams will regret passing on

John Collins

Drafted: 19th Overall

Teams That Missed: Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers , Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat

John Collins had two stellar years during his tenure at Wake Forest. Collins posted per 40 numbers of 20.4 points per game and 10.9 rebounds per game as a freshmen in a limited role (14.4 minutes per game and one start in 31 games played). Those numbers shot through the roof with more playing time. Collins’ per 40 numbers as a sophomore shot up to 28.8 points, 14.8 rebounds and he posted a Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 35.9 — and 37.1 PER in ACC play.

Collins’ ability to effect the game with his athleticism and sheer will made him one of the most dominant players in the best conference in all of college basketball. Yet, when the draft came around there were question after question posed about the former Demon Deacon. Was he strong enough to battle with NBA bigs? Would he settle for short rolls out of pick-and-rolls or use his athletic gifts to attack the rim? What would he be able to do defensively?

Through the Hawks first seven games, Collins has been one of the most consistent rookies in the entire league. He currently averages 11.4 points along with 7.3 rebounds in 20.1 minutes. He’s being effective while shooting a porous 51.7 percent from the field. A look at his shot chart reveals two things: 1) He’s right side dominant and 2) he’s finding success despite not being a great finisher around the rim.

In his first ever back-to-back he posted his first two double-doubles of his career (14 points and 13 rebounds against the Brooklyn Nets and 14 points and 11 rebounds against the Miami Heat).

Some of the questions about his game remain, but considering he was the eighth big drafted this past summer, there are definitely teams (READ: Trail Blazers, Portland) wishing they’d taken Collins instead of letting him slide down to Atlanta at 19.