Atlanta Hawks center John Collins is entering his first dunk contest this year. He already appears to have some big plans, as he teased a Trae Young cameo for the contest.
John Collins says Trae Young will have a role in his Slam Dunk Contest should he require a pass. I think he just might.
— Chris Vivlamore (@CVivlamoreAJC) February 13, 2019
John Collins is having a fantastic sophomore season with the Hawks, averaging 19.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game to this point. The 21-year-old is extremely fun to watch, but he doesn't have much star power outside of Atlanta. With that said, not many people are probably begging for a Collins appearance in the dunk contest.
He's added to the allure of his name with a little tease though. Trae Young has been superb in his rookie season. If it wasn't for Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic, Young would be getting all the love as the top rookie this year.
Averaging 16.9 points and 7.6 assists per game, he's clearly ready to be an NBA point guard. What's translated the best so far has been his passing. Game-after-game, Young impresses with his ability to get the ball to the open man and to consistently make eye-popping passes when needed.
Now, it appears he's going to be bringing that to the dunk contest. With so many previous dunk contests, it's hard to get original with your slams. An easy way to help make a dunk look nastier is by having a filthy pass accompany it.
With that in mind, there are two big things Young can bring to the table for Collins. First, he'll bring some name recognition, putting more eyes on Collins. This won't help him in any real way when it comes to the scoring, but it will make more fans interested in seeing him.
Then there's the real help. Young is one of the more gifted passers in the league. Setting up a Collins slam with a flashy pass will make whatever he does that much more impressive looking.
Although Collins said that it will only happen “should he require a pass.” However, big men tend to pull out all the tricks when it comes to dunk contests, and Young has a bag full of them.
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