For the good of the player, and the Spurs, Gregg Popovich decided to use Victor Wembanyama at post 5. A choice that made one unhappy: Zach Collins. Initially, the former Blazers interior was to play with the Frenchman, and now he is the understudy.
“We were playing together a lot more at the beginning of the year, then I moved to the bench, and we don't really get a chance to play together anymore.” regrets Collins, questioned by The Spokesman-Review. “But I really like playing with him because it’s fun to throw him the ball near the rim. »
But advanced stats confirm that the team is better when the two don't play together. In the 385 minutes they spent together on the court, the Spurs have a negative differential of -10.5 points. Over the 1,007 minutes played by “Wemby”, without Collins, this differential is twice better: -4.1 points.
Greater freedom off the bench
“I hope that in the future we can play a little more together” wishes Collins, who nevertheless recognizes that he has more freedom as an understudy. “Now I have the freedom to do a lot more on offense, whether it's scoring, making stop passes, doing pick-and-pop… All those things I knew I was capable of, but here I have the freedom to do it much more. On offense, my game has progressed by leaps and bounds since I've been here. »
In the numbers, that averages 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists, with career highs in shots taken, shooting skills, and assists.
