Zach Collins had a strong start defensively last year, but he tapered off a little bit as the season went on. Well, at least it appeared he did. What really happened was that Collins stopped blocking so many shots but his foul rate stayed high, and it made him look like he wasn't a very good defender.



But Collins raised his block percentage year-over-year, and he actually made slight moves in the right direction in terms of his fouling for his position. He was even a pretty good defender in the pick-and-roll, according to Synergy.

Collins was an important help-side defender for the Blazers last season, and his propensity to block shots and contest players with vertically at the rim was not only necessary, but impressive for a player of his age and experience.

His biggest sin was leaving his feet too soon. Collins went block hunting a bit this season, and it would often leave his backside exposed. The Gonzaga product also had a tendency to give 3-point shooters too much space when he was forced to guard small-ball lineups.



Collins was really important in these last playoffs, and the type of things he has to work on are simply what every NBA big man needs to improve in their first four years in league

Watch the full video breakdown above to see where Collins needs to improve, and to find out what to expect from him next year.