Postgame thread: Thunder 130, Kings 109

I agree that he is very reliable with the ball. And the way he picks up fouls is crazy. And the value of a player who can score a basket and/or a foul is immeasurable. I’m really not saying Collins is better than DeRozan, but I think Collins might be a better fit.

Collins plays 4, but he can even play 5, or play like a 5, or play with 5. He is also a willing defender and rebounder. He can help Domas fill the gap inside, and these two could switch between guarding the 4 and 5 if needed. Perhaps most importantly, it allows Keegan to guard the 1-3, which is what he does best. Keegan is often superior when guarding 4s and 5s. And if DeRozan is in the lineup and playing the 3, that means Keegan has to guard the 4 because DeRozan absolutely can’t do that. Additionally, this would still allow Sabonis to initiate the offense at the top of the key, with Collins a real presence in the low post. Additionally, he hits 37% of those threes at decent volume. So there’s no problem with him allowing shots or stopping the offense when he rotates to the wing. And this year he is also a real rebounder with almost nine players per game. That would take so much of the pressure off of Domas and Keegan as the only real rebounders. He would also (hopefully) bring some sand and fire, which we desperately need. Additionally, it looks like he can make shots on offense or clearing the boards without needing many plays and still score 18 points per game.

Maybe there is a way to keep DDR and get Collins, I’m not sure. Maybe him for Huerter, but the salaries don’t really match up and Huerter is a step or two below Collins at this point. Maybe Huerter and Lyles would work. But I think Collins is the guy we need since he was with Atlanta. He plays more defense and grabs more rebounds than Jerami Grant, while shooting and scoring as well or better. He’s also just as young as DFox and fits in that vein. I just think Collins is a good fit for a lot of reasons. The only possible reason for a break could be an adjustment, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem at all in Utah and he could feel even more comfortable on this Kings team and in Cali.