New Pistons forward had his fair share of struggles in the season opener against the Celtics, but turned things around with a 23-point performance in game 2 against the Heat. Not only did Collins himself bounce back in a major way, but his scoring outburst also redefines the Pistons as a major playoff threat. If their fourth and fifth starters in Collins and Duncan Robinson are capable of putting up 20+ points in the right matchup, Detroit will have a lot of weapons come postseason time.
Collins put together a complete scoring performance
Even before the season started, Collins' lack of self-creation was targeted as a potential weakness for the Pistons. He replaced the departing Tobias Harris in Detroit's starting lineup, and Harris wound up as the Pistons' second-best creator in last season's playoffs. So a perceived dropoff from Collins in the same department left the Pistons searching for other answers to improve their creation abilities.
At the same time, Collins was acknowledged as a superior play finisher to Harris. He's a much better and more willing three-point shooter, as he showed in full force on Friday night. Collins finished the game in Miami shooting 5-of-6 from downtown. He was eager to full the trigger whenever he got a slight bit of space, whether from the corners or top of the key. That aggression will keep defenses honest all season long, even if the shots don't continue to fall at an 83% clip.
Against the Heat, Collins also pushed back on the narrative of him being a non-creator. He was successful in multiple opportunities on drives and post-ups against even capable defenders like Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell. Especially when he was playing with bench units, which often lack some offensive firepower for the Pistons, Collins was willing to be a focal point and get his own buckets.
Collins can push the Pistons into anotherr tier
If Collins can continue to thrive against weaker or undersized defenders, he could be an effective weapon for the Pistons even in the biggest games. Opposing defenses will have their best defenders tied up to slow down Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, so Collins could see a lot of favorable matchups.
The Pistons don't need Collins to score over 20 points every night, but it's certainly a welcome boost if he's got a good matchup. By establishing his scoring presence now, Detroit can force defenses to respect Collins more by the postseason and therefore open up opportunities for his teammates. That's all the Pistons need from Collins to potentially become title contenders, especially if the young core also continues to grow this season.
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