Portland Trail Blazers big man Zach Collins has re-affirmed that he is on track to return to the court in March, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic.
Collins suffered a dislocated shoulder in late October and ultimately underwent surgery to repair the issue. It was initially forecasted that he would be sidelined until March, and that timetable has remained the same. The 22-year-old will be re-evaluated at the beginning of March before he can actually start playing again.
“All I know is they are going to have to tell me not to play,” Collins said.
This season was viewed as a potential breakout year for the third-year pro, and in the three games he played before getting injured, he averaged 9.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists over 28.7 minutes per game. In addition, he was shooting 47.4 percent from the floor, 42.9 percent from three-point range and 100 percent from the free-throw line.
Collins, who played his collegiate basketball at Gonzaga, was originally selected by the Sacramento Kings with the 10th overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft but was immediately traded to the Blazers.
He appeared in 66 contests during his rookie campaign, registering 4.4 points and 3.3 boards across 15.8 minutes a night while making 39.8 percent of his field-goal attempts, 31 percent of his long-distance tries and 64.3 percent of his foul shots.
Zach Collins showed marked improvement last season, participating in 77 games and recording 6.6 points and 4.2 rebounds through 17.6 minutes per game. He also executed on 47.3 percent of his field-goal attempts, 33.1 percent of his triples and 74.6 percent of his free throws.
Portland is 16-23 so far this season.
Follow Us
Subscribe