Zach Collins: Potential Andre Drummond sidekick or successor?
What if the Detroit Pistons draft a center, say Zach Collins? What does that mean for Andre Drummond?
In a CBS Sports mock draft by Gary Parrish, the Detroit Pistons select big man Zach Collins out of Gonzaga. Collins, a big man who can knock it down from deep, is very appealing to a lackluster shooting team like the Pistons. But what would this mean for Andre Drummond?
Drummond, averaging 13.6 points and 13.8 rebounds a game this season, seems to have stopped in development. While still a force to be reckoned with, some argue he has reached his peak. Still only 23, he has time to prove himself as the franchise cornerstone piece.
But how long is Stan Van Gundy and the Detroit Pistons willing to wait? Is Andre Drummond the franchise player for Detroit, or will it be someone else?
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Zach Collins, the first one-and-done player in Gonzaga history, brings his streaky shooting to the NBA. With a league coveting stretch fours and fives, Collins easily comes up in lottery discussion.
In his lone season at Gonzaga, Collins averaged 10 points and just under 6 rebounds a game. He also showcased his defensive ability, blocking 1.8 shots per game. While those numbers do not jump out on the box score, his 47.6 three-point percentage surely does.
Collins was a menace from the arc, forcing opposing opponents to step out and guard him around the perimeter, leaving a gaping whole in the middle.
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What would this mean for the Detroit Pistons? More room for Andre Drummond to operate in the paint.
Andre Drummond and Zach Collins could potentially become an unstoppable duo. Collins would clearly shift to the power forward spot, finally giving the Pistons a quality stretch four.
A pairing of the two 7-footers could be deadly, creating match up problems for opponents choosing the small-ball route.
But, considering how well it panned out for Greg Monroe, Zach Collins would be better suited at his true center position. So would that mean an Andre Drummond exit instead?
Zach Collins would offensively be an upgrade from Drummond, but it is too early to tell how his game will elevate to the NBA level. Selling out on Drummond for an unproven rookie could be a big mistake for the Pistons.
The safer and more intelligent route would be to plant Zach Collins into the second unit. He would play alongside Stanley Johnson in the front court and their play style could operate well.
Collins could also be thrust into late-game situations instead of Drummond, catering to Drummond’s abysmal free throw shooting. Collins shot 74 percent from the free throw line, an immense upgrade to Drummond’s career 38 percent.
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It is safe to say, at least in the short run, that Zach Collins would better suit as a sidekick to Drummond. This would allow Collins to learn from the prominent big man and come off the bench, as well as pounce on opposing small-ball archetype teams in certain situations. Either way, the Detroit Pistons could do no wrong with selecting the Gonzaga product with the 12th pick.