John Collins Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Collins, Bogdanovic, Wizards, Magic

April 13th, 2022 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have formally ruled out big man John Collins (foot/finger) for Wednesday’s play-in game. And even in the event the team wins that game, Collins is unlikely to play on Friday, tweets Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.

If the Hawks win both play-in games and earn the No. 8 seed, it’s still possible Collins could play in the club’s first-round series vs. Miami. However, according to Kirschner, while the 24-year-old’s foot has improved, his injured finger remains an issue — he’s still experiencing pain and is unable to grip the basketball.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Hawks wing Bogdan Bogdanovic spoke to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic about his relationship with Trae Young, his role off the bench, and the team’s postseason potential.
Outside of re-signing Bradley Beal, the Wizards‘ top priority this summer will likely be finding a point guard. However, as Ava Wallace of The Washington Post details, president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard said on Tuesday that the team doesn’t feel like it needs to bring in a “high-profile name or high-profile performer,” since Beal, Deni Avdija, and Kristaps Porzingis are also capable of play-making. Head coach Wes Unseld Jr. agreed: “I don’t think you need a guy that’s tasked with having to orchestrate everything. I think that’s a lot to ask for. … You try to find the best talent, the best complementary player for this group.”
Porzingis also shared his thoughts on what the Wizards should be looking for in a point guard, suggesting that the team doesn’t need a ton of scoring from the position, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. “I think somebody that can run the offense really well and that is aggressive on the offensive end, but is looking to create for his teammates and to open the game up for everybody else,” Porzingis said.
The Magic finished dead last in the East with a 22-60 record, but they were encouraged by the progress they made this season from a developmental perspective, writes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. “I know the record doesn’t always show what’s grown and progressed, but this group of young men stayed together,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “There’s been a spirit on the court every single night and that’s just going to turn up another level as we walk into next year. Our guys are excited about it and the fans should be extremely excited about it because they see the way in which these young men play for one another and battle no matter what’s happening.”
Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman agreed with Mosley’s assessment, telling Mike Bianchi during an appearance on FM 96.9 The Game’s Open Mike that the club “accomplished a lot of our goals” in 2021/22. Dan Savage of OrlandoMagic.com passes along several more of Weltman’s comments from that interview, including his thoughts on Mohamed Bamba‘s upcoming free agency.

Injury Updates: Doncic, Allen, Kennard, Collins, Niang

April 12th, 2022 at 1:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks put out a press release on Tuesday formally confirming that Luka Doncic is dealing with a strained left calf and announcing there’s no timetable for his return.

Dallas won’t have to officially list Doncic on the injury report until Friday, so the club will likely continue to be cagey about his availability for Game 1 vs. Utah. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd declined to offer any specifics on Tuesday, offering coy responses about Doncic’s ability to practice and the possibility that he’ll play on Saturday, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.

For what it’s worth, Kidd said multiple times that Doncic is “in great spirits,” while Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie offered a positive assessment of his teammate’s status (Twitter link via Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News): “He seemed solid to me. I mean, he don’t seem like a guy that’s going to miss too much time, if any.”

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

The Cavaliers have officially listed Jarrett Allen (finger) as out for Tuesday’s play-in game vs. Brooklyn. An earlier report suggested there’s some hope that Allen would be able to play on Friday if Cleveland loses tonight.
Clippers sharpshooter Luke Kennard (hamstring) had been officially listed as questionable for Tuesday’s play-in game, but he didn’t make the trip to Minnesota, according to head coach Tyronn Lue (Twitter link via Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times).
Hawks big man John Collins, out since March 11 due to finger and foot injuries, played some 4-on-4 over the weekend, but head coach Nate McMillan isn’t sure whether he’ll be available for Wednesday’s play-in game vs. Charlotte, writes Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He’s been moving a lot more, and today was pretty much shooting. … We’ll see tomorrow,” McMillan said on Tuesday. “We’ll see how he feels after the weekend of play and what he went through today.”
After missing the last two games of the regular season with a knee issue, Sixers forward Georges Niang was able to practice on Tuesday and should be ready for Game 1 on Saturday, head coach Doc Rivers told reporters, including Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

Southeast Notes: F. Wagner, Hornets, Bridges, Collins

April 1st, 2022 at 8:25pm CST by Rory Maher

Franz Wagner has had a stellar first season for the Magic, and Josh Cohen of the team’s website makes the case that Wagner deserves Rookie of the Year consideration. Wagner holds the season-high scoring mark in an individual game for rookies with 38, along with several other benchmarks.

Through 77 games this season, the 6’9″ forward is averaging 15.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists on .468/.357/.863 shooting in 31.5 minutes per night. If he stays above 46% from the field (which is a basically a lock) and is able to convert four more three-pointers, Wagner will join Stephen Curry and Jayson Tatum as the third rookie ever to score at least 1,000 points and make 100 threes while shooting 46-plus percent from the floor, per Cohen.

One of the 20-year-old’s notable statistics has been his durability, as he’s one of just six players to appear in every game this season (Kevon Looney, Deni Avdija, Mikal Bridges, Dwight Powell and Saddiq Bey are the others). Unfortunately, he rolled his left ankle in Friday’s game against Toronto (video link via Kobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel) and was ruled out for the remainder of the game, the Magic’s PR department announced (via Twitter). Hopefully he’ll be able to finish out the season strong and accomplish the feat.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

The Hornets have clinched a spot in the play-in tournament, but they have their sights set on loftier goals, as Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer relays. “We can’t be content — we haven’t done s—,” Kelly Oubre said. “So we’ve got to continue to work, stay humble and continue to grind and create our own narrative for the future and establish ourselves in an area for sure that is in the winning light. So we’ve got to continue to stay hungry and stay humble.”
Within the same article, Boone notes that Miles Bridges apparently still holds some resentment that the Knicks didn’t select him in the 2018 draft. The Knicks selected Kevin Knox at No. 9, while Bridges fell to the Hornets at No. 12. “There’s a lot of history between me and the Knicks’ organization, going back to draft day,” Bridges said. “So every time I come in, I want to make a point of why they should have drafted me back then. I just try to be aggressive every time I come here and show them what I can do and it’s been working out.” Bridges has scored 30-plus points in each of his last three appearances in New York, including 31 on 11-of-15 shooting in the team’s 125-114 victory Wednesday. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer.
John Collins still hasn’t returned to basketball activity for the Hawks, Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Collins is progressing in his rehab from a mid-foot sprain and plantar fascia tear, as well as a sprained finger, and his return to action will depend on his follow-up appointments with medical specialists.

Hawks Notes: Young, Collins, Playoffs, Johnson

March 31st, 2022 at 10:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Trae Young can gain super-max status on his extension if he’s named to one of the All-NBA teams this season, but that’s certainly no given, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic notes.

If he’s selected, Young will receive a five-year contract worth approximately $212MM. Otherwise, that figure drops to around $177MM. The Athletic polled 45 current or former voters and only eight said they would vote for Young on one of the three All-NBA teams. The Hawks’ inconsistent season is swaying those decisions more than Young’s statistics, Kirschner observes.

Young signed the extension in August.

We have more on the Hawks:

There’s still no decision on whether John Collins will be shut down for the rest of the season, Kirschner tweets. Coach Nate McMillan said prior to Thursday’s game there’s no update on a possible return for Collins, who is rehabbing from foot and finger injuries. He hasn’t played since March 11.
The Hawks clinched a spot in the play-in tournament with their 131-107 triumph over Cleveland on Thursday. McMillan hopes they can move up in the standings the rest of the way, Sarah Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. “We had the opportunity to clinch that spot, being in the top 10, but we also have a chance to move up in these remaining games. Our approach to this game had to be such,” he said.
Jalen Johnson entered the league’s concussion protocol, Spencer adds in another tweet. Johnson played 17 minutes against Indiana on Monday.
Johnson, the team’s first-round pick, hasn’t received much playing time in his rookie campaign. McMillan believes he’s gotten a good education by spending most of the season in the G League, Kirschner writes. “He’s gotten a lot of minutes in the G League, and I think that’s helped him, so when he’s stepping in a moment like this, it’s not too different as far as what he has to do out there,” McMillan said earlier this week. “He’s guarding the four and five with the Skyhawks. With us, he’s playing the four position, and we’re switching him on guards. You don’t want him to think. Just play and react to situations.”

Southeast Notes: Oladipo, Bam, Collins, Bridges

March 20th, 2022 at 1:31pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Heat guard Victor Oladipo, who continues to work his way back from quadriceps tendon surgery, has played in just four games since returning to the hardwood for Miami on March 7, averaging 5.5 points on .450/.222/.667 shooting across 16.3 MPG. Oladipo has also struggled with lower back spasms in recent days.

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes that the Heat were never anticipating that Oladipo could be a starter this season playing major minutes. Winderman notes that the 6’4″ guard, a former two-time All-Star with the Pacers before being beset by injuries, could still be a valuable contributor for the East’s top-seeded club in spot minutes during the playoffs. The play of fellow reserve guards Max Strus and Gabe Vincent has made any help Oladipo provides a bit of a bonus.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Heat center Bam Adebayo believes he deserves to be named Defensive Player of the Year this season, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Adebayo has been the anchor for one of the league’s staunchest defenses this year. As of this writing, the Heat rank fifth in defensive rating and fourth in points allowed per game. The 6’9″ big man has been no slouch when it comes to counting stats, either, averaging 19.0 PPG, 10.3 RPG and 3.5 APG this season for Miami. Though Adebayo has missed 25 games this season due to injury, missing some contests does not necessarily preclude a player from DPOY consideration. In the 2017/18 season, Jazz center Rudy Gobert won his first Defensive Player of the Year award after playing only 56 of 82 games for Utah.
Hawks head coach Nate McMillan sounds fairly skeptical that starting power forward John Collins will be available to return to the floor for Atlanta within the 10-to-14-day timeline initially provided by the team, per Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter). “That’s when they will talk about his injury again,” McMillan said. “I don’t think we’re saying in two weeks he’ll be back. We will re-evaluate him in two weeks.”
Hornets power forward Miles Bridges, who should at least be a finalist for the 2022 Most Improved Player award thanks to his excellent play this year, is focused on reaching the playoffs with Charlotte following several past disappointments, per Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “I’ve been here before and all three years when we could’ve made the playoffs we didn’t finish like we wanted to,” Bridges said. “So I just want this year to be different.” Bridges is averaging 20.0 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 3.8 APG for the 36-35 Hornets, current occupants of the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte – currently 5.5 games ahead of the No. 11 Wizards with just 11 games left in its season – seems like a safe bet to at least qualify for the 2022 play-in tournament. Last year, the Hornets finished as the tenth seed with a 33-39 record, but lost to the Pacers in their first play-in game.

John Collins Expected To Be Out At Least 10-14 Days

March 18th, 2022 at 3:22pm CST by Dana Gauruder

MARCH 18: Collins has been officially diagnosed with a right foot sprain and plantar fascia tear, as well as a right ring finger sprain, according to a press release from the Hawks.

He has received an anti-inflammatory shot in his finger and been fitted with custom splints, which he’ll wear for the rest of the season. Additionally, during the next few days, he’ll undergo a non-surgical procedure on his foot, according to the team.

Collins’ status will be updated in the next 10-to-14 days, per the Hawks. Presumably, that means he’ll be out for at least that long.

MARCH 17: Hawks forward John Collins has a plantar fascia tear in his right foot and will be out indefinitely, Shams Charania and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic report (Twitter link).

Collins had been trying to play with a mangled right ring finger as well as foot pain. He sought out a second opinion for both injuries. Collins has missed three straight games and 10 of the last 14 for Atlanta.

Collins signed a five-year, $125MM deal last August to remain with the Hawks. In 54 games, Collins has averaged 16.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 1.8 APG. Without him, the Hawks will continue to rely more on De’Andre Hunter and Danilo Gallinari.

Atlanta is 34-35 and holds the 10th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

John Collins Getting Second Opinion On Foot, Finger Injuries

March 17th, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Hawks coach Nate McMillan said power forward John Collins is seeking a second opinion on his foot and finger injuries, according to Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). McMillan added that it’s still up in the air as to whether Collins will miss extended time with the injuries.

“We really don’t know. He’s going to get checked out and get more information for himself as well as for the organization and we’ll see what happens when we get that information,” McMillan said, per Spencer (via Twitter).

Through 54 appearances this season, Collins is averaging 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game on .526/.364/.793 shooting. However, he struggled mightily after returning following a seven-game absence due to the right foot strain, averaging just 9.3 points and 6.3 rebounds on .359/.125/.778 shooting in four games (24.7 minutes).

Collins has missed three straight games and 10 of the last 14 for Atlanta. The right finger injury is a more recent development, incurred during the brief four-game return.

Collins played an important role in helping Atlanta reach last year’s Eastern Conference finals, but the team has been very inconsistent this season. The Hawks are currently 34-35, 10th in the East. They trail the Hornets by a half-game for the ninth seed.

Injury Notes: Butler, Hayward, McDermott, Collins

March 16th, 2022 at 11:45am CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat forward Jimmy Butler sprained his right ankle and did not play in the second half of Miami’s win against Detroit on Tuesday, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Butler has already missed six games – three in November and three more in January – due to a right ankle sprain.

“He tweaked his ankle. We’ll see how he feels (Wednesday),” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said.

We have more injury-related news:

Hornets forward Gordon Hayward said he’s “starting to ramp things up this week,” Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer tweets. The plan is to test his ankle during more basketball activities the rest of the week and begin contact next week. Hayward hasn’t played since February 7 after spraining ligaments in his left ankle.
Doug McDermott is expected to miss several games after suffering an ankle sprain, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News tweets. “He did it pretty good,” coach Gregg Popovich said of the Spurs forward. “I don’t know…But he will be out for a while.”
Hawks head coach Nate McMillan didn’t have much of an update on Wednesday when asked about John Collins‘ status, tweets Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. According to McMillan, Collins – who has missed the last two games with a finger injury – is “getting better,” but there’s still no timeline for his return.

Southeast Notes: Collins, Oladipo, Mosley

March 14th, 2022 at 8:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

John Collins‘ right ring finger injury won’t improve much if he continues to play this season, an orthopedic specialist told The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner.

The specialist, Deepak Chona, said the proper treatment requires the finger to be immobilized in a splint for the tissue to heal. The best-case scenario if Collins continues playing would be partial healing in two or three weeks and moderate improvement in his shooting as the Hawks forward becoming used to his shooting hand being compromised.

Collins is averaging 9.3 PPG on 35.9% shooting in four March games. Collins, who is unsure whether he should continue playing, will sit out against Portland on Monday.

“I want to rest. I want to feel right,” he said. “But I know in an 82-game season, it’s not always going to be the case to feel 100 percent.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Victor Oladipo didn’t play in the second game of a back-to-back on Saturday and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said they don’t want to push him too much physically, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes. “This is just a matter of I’m not going to try to fast track this,” Spoelstra said “This is going to be about us tempering the expectations.” Miami plays Detroit on Tuesday.
Oladipo is averaging 6.7 PPG and 3.0 APG in 16.7 MPG since returning from his quad injury. The former All-Star admitted to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon that it’s been a humbling experience. “It did affect me, going through all of those things,” said Oladipo, who will be a free agent again this summer. “Feeling like people kind of wrote me off, and feeling like people are kind of being weird, moving weird around me as a person. It was just weird, and I didn’t help myself either. I had to change the people I was around, who I was letting represent me. I had to change who I was letting manage my life. I had to change a whole bunch of stuff.”
Jamahl Mosley has put his stamp on the Magic in his first year as head coach and the Orlando Sentinel’s Khobi Price takes a closer look at Mosley’s early impact on the franchise.

Southeast Notes: Collins, Wright, Bamba, Thomas

March 13th, 2022 at 3:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Hawks power forward John Collins has continued to play for Atlanta even as he deals with lingering foot pain and now sports a protective wrap around his finger, per Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Collins recently returned to Atlanta’s active roster following a seven-game absence as he dealt with his strained right foot.

“I’m not going to tell you everything,” Hawks head coach Nate McMillan said regarding the health of Collins. “I just respect him for his effort and he does have some things that are going on that he’s trying to play through.”

Through 54 games for the 32-34 Hawks, the 6’9″ big man is averaging 16.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 1.8 APG and boasts shooting splits of .526/.364/.793. Atlanta is currently the tenth seed in the Eastern Conference, mere percentage points behind the ninth-seeded Hornets, who sport a 32-34 record. An extended absence for the Hawks’ second-leading scorer in Collins could spell trouble for the Hawks’ play-in chances.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Hawks reserve combo guard Delon Wright, an unrestricted free agent this summer, is currently out of Atlanta’s rotation. Hawks head coach Nate McMillan explained his thinking behind Wright’s exclusion from the present lineup, per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic (Twitter link). “He’s been playing well,” McMillan said. “It’s nothing he’s done. He’s been playing well. It’s really difficult to play a 10-man rotation because everyone gets squeezed. What I did was went to Lou [Williams] at that backup [point guard spot] — the rotation we had last year.” The 6’5″ veteran is in his seventh NBA season.
Hornets backup point guard Isaiah Thomas discussed his fight for an NBA future with Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Currently on his third NBA club this season, following prior 10-day contracts with the Lakers and Mavericks, Thomas is excited for his opportunity with Charlotte, with whom he recently signed a second 10-day deal. “It’s just a blessing for me to be able to be where I’m at today with how bad my hip was, because I never thought I would be in this space again where I have no pain and I can play free and I can just live free,” Thomas said. “Not just play, like, I don’t have no pain on a daily basis.” Thomas has had multiple surgeries on his troublesome hip, but says he has been pain-free since a 2020 operation. The 5’9″ veteran is averaging 9.7 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.7 APG and 1.0 SPG in just 13.7 MPG over the course of his three games with Charlotte. “I don’t ice my hip, I don’t do any pre-workout for it. I don’t do anything,” he said. “It’s the same as before I got hurt. I know I can do those things again, but I’m not chasing those moments.”
Magic center Mohamed Bamba has an interesting summer ahead of him. Orlando will have to tender the former No. 6 pick in the 2018 NBA draft a $10.1MM one-year qualifying offer this summer for him to reach restricted free agency — otherwise he will become an unrestricted free agent. Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link) expects the qualifying offer to be a foregone conclusion. Given Bamba’s uneven play during his first NBA seasons, it seemed possible that he could reach unrestricted free agency, hoping to catch on with a club in a reserve role at a rate below the qualifying offer. However, Bamba is enjoying by far the best statistical season of his NBA career thus far, averaging 10.5 PPG, 8.0 RPG and 1.7 BPG across 57 games for Orlando, including 55 starts.