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Atlanta Hawks power forward John Collins was issued a 25-game suspension by the NBA for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy.
The third-year big man was off to a fast start and seemed to be in a position to help the developing Hawks make the leap. Now, his teammate Trae Young speaks out on surprising news.
“For me it's tough, and for the whole team it's tough. We're losing a big piece of our team, and of course we're going to miss him,” Trae Young shared.
“But at the same time we still have to play basketball, and that's all we're going to do — play basketball.”
"For me it's tough, and for the whole team it's tough. We're losing a big piece of our team, and of course we're going to miss him."
Trae Young on John Collins' suspension: pic.twitter.com/ZgazWKh7R5
— Sarah K. Spencer (@sarah_k_spence) November 5, 2019
The 21-year-old rising star guard, however, offered his support to his teammate and said that he has his back.
Collins' suspension comes on the heels of two previous cases of 25-game suspensions levied by the league, including Brooklyn Nets veteran forward Wilson Chandler (for Ipamorelin) and Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (for diuretic).
A first-round pick of the Hawks from the 2017 NBA Draft, Collins had a breakout season last year, averaging 19.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 30.0 minutes per game. He made 61 appearances and 59 starts for the team, shooting 56.0 percent from the field, 34.8 percent from behind the 3-point arc and 76.3 percent from the free throw line.
Collins averaged 17.0 points and 8.8 rebounds in five contests this season before being hit with the suspension.
It's a huge blow for a young Atlanta team looking to build off their talented pieces like Collins, Young,and rookies De'Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish. With Collins out for a considerable amount of time, head coach Lloyd Pierce has fewer games to start watch and work his young players together.
