San Antonio Spurs big man Zach Collins doesn't need a reminder that he's made just one of his last 11 attempts from 3-point territory. He might know, specifically, that he's shooting 27 percent from beyond the arc this season. And he probably wouldn't be surprised to hear that he's taken more 3-pointers than two of the team's best shooters in Cedi Osman and Doug McDermott, as well as it's most versatile player off the bench Malaki Branham.
Despite all of that, don't expect Collins to stop firing.
“I'm gonna keep shooting them. I've worked too hard for this not to come balance back my way,” Collins told ClutchPoints on Monday.
Zach Collins looking to recapture a mini groove
The Gonzaga alum went through a stretch at the start of this month in which he hit at least 50 percent of the treys he took in four of five games, including a 3-for-3 performance in what turned out to be the Spurs' last win, a 132-121 victory at the Phoenix Suns on November 2.
Spurs practice
Talked with Zach Collins about his ‘4-5’ dynamic with Vic and how much it really matters considering the #Spurs offense
Answer⬇️#GoSpursGo#PorVida pic.twitter.com/exc20M570d
— Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) November 27, 2023
“I think I can do a better job of preparing for the shots, getting lower, using my legs. A lot them have been short,” the 6'11” center continued, “I've worked too hard. I've worked too much on my game to let something like this stop me from shooting so I'm going to keep dong it.”
Finding a comfort zone with Victor Wembanyama
Adjusting his 3-point shot form isn't the only adapting Collins is doing on the court these days.
Spurs star rookie Victor Wembanyama played more at the center position than usual in Sunday night's loss to the Denver Nuggets, sometimes matching up with two-time NBA MVP and last year's Finals MVP Nikola Jokic.
When asked whether there was a concerted effort to switch duties with his 7'5″ teammate, Collins said it varied.
“It's usually whoever has the mismatch, throw him under the rim. If we go into a double screen, if he wants to roll then I know I'm popping and vice versa type thing,” the big man added.
Though just 26 years old, Collins is seven years Wemby's senior.
“We're just playing off each other; realize that we can both do multiple things. We can both shoot, we can both go inside so just trying to read one another. If I see Vic running the floor, I'm hanging back a little bit because I know he'll be under the rim,” Collins furthered.
Existing within the modern game
Collins ranks fourth on the team at 14.1 points per game. His 6.3 rebounds per contest are second only to Wembanyama, as is his blocks per game average among nightly rotational players.
CluchPoints asked Collins if, in this day of “position-less” basketball, too much is made of who plays center and who plays power forward.
“That's a good question. I think it goes back to who's guarding us. If the five is guarding me – their biggest guy – then it changes things. If he's guarding Vic, then maybe he turns into the guy running up into the screens and I'm spacing. I think it just depends on what the other team's doing,” Collins responded.
There's no doubt about what Zach Collins will keep doing, at least when it comes to getting a good look from beyond the 3-point line.
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