Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins was not happy to learn he landed outside of consideration for the Most Improved Player award after nearly doubling his scoring average from his rookie season.
The second-year star-in-the-making out of Wake Forest was a 20-10 fixture for the Hawks after returning from an early-season injury, missing the first month of the season, but only to come back with a much-improved skill set and an ample opportunity to showcase it.
“I was pissed that I wasn't in considerations for the Most Improved Player award,” Collins told ESPN's Zach Lowe on The Lowe Post podcast.
.@ZachLowe_NBA talks to Hawks big man @jcollins20_ about the future in Atlanta, his All-Star aspirations, the wild free agency period, and much more.
LISTEN: https://t.co/EJbyA0gbYd pic.twitter.com/VXLkdUr3pO
— ESPN Podcasts (@espnpodcasts) July 8, 2019
Collins averaged 19.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in only 30 minutes of playing time — numbers that are a surefire 20-and-10 if given minutes at the mid 30s.
Yet one thing that worked against him was his defense, as he went from blocking one shot per game to less than that, despite his spike in playing time.
Besides that, his 3-point shooting, free-throw shooting, rebounding, and passing improved with this new opportunity, remaining an efficient presence on offense, now benefitting from Trae Young's playmaking.
While Collins was part of the broader end of players considered, he did not make it among the finalists, as Sacramento Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox, Brooklyn Nets floor general D'Angelo Russell (now with the Golden State Warriors), and eventual winner Pascal Siakam merited the three top mentions.
If Collins can mix some stiff defense with his 20-10 potential this upcoming season, it's likely he can soon be looking at bigger aspirations than the MIP, but rather a potential All-Star mention as one of the best bigs in the league.
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