After being drafted 19th in the 2017 Draft, Hawks big man John Collins has emerged as one of the best young talents in the league.
By 22 years old, the budding star was already averaging over 20 points per game, proving himself to be a valuable member of the Atlanta Hawks organization.
Now, two years later, and Collins is making waves for different reasons.
Amid the team’s 17-22 record, frustrations have grown for everyone on the roster, and especially so for Collins. According to a recent article on The Athletic, Collins’ future in Atlanta has grown in doubt after expressing frustration with his current role.
Collins, however, has grown increasingly frustrated over his role in Atlanta, multiple sources have told The Athletic. His shot attempts per game and usage rate have decreased in each of the past three seasons — even as the athletic, energetic Collins has improved his offensive repertoire. The 6-foot-9 big man has challenged the Hawks locker room on multiple occasions to play team basketball and commit to one another this season. Oftentimes, Collins has felt his voice go unheard.
“I’ve banged my head on the wall a couple of times trying to figure it out myself, there’s really no excuse,” Collins said Friday night after the Hawks’ 134-118 loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles. “All I can say is it’s unacceptable and we have to dig down and do the things necessary to win or this is going to be the result every night.”
Collins, 24, is eligible to be traded on Jan. 15.
It wasn’t long ago that the Hawks reached a new milestone, making the Eastern Conference Finals in a rather shocking upset against the 1st-seeded Sixers in round 2.
After losing the series against Milwaukee, they endured a quiet offseason, hoping another run was all they needed to meet their goals.
Sadly, that hasn’t looked to be the case so far, and it will be interesting to see what they decide to do over the next few weeks and months.
