Collins won't start Friday's game versus the Bulls, independent NBA writer Matthew Tynan reports.
Collins will operate off the bench for the first time this season, and Victor Wembanyama will get his first crack as the starting center. After a hot start to the season, Collins has cooled off recently, but he should still see plenty of minutes as a reserve.
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Spurs' Zach Collins: Will play Wednesday
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Collins (thumb) is available for Wednesday's game against the Timberwolves, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News reports.
As expected, Collins has been upgraded from probable to available despite a minor thumb sprain. The veteran center has yet to miss a game this season, averaging 13.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals-plus-blocks in 29.1 minutes per night across 19 appearances.
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Spurs' Zach Collins: Expected to play Wednesday
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Collins is listed as probable for Wednesday's game versus the Timberwolves due to a left thumb sprain, Paul Garcia of ProjectSpurs.com reports.
Collins has yet to miss a game this season and isn't expected to do so Wednesday despite dealing with a thumb injury. The 26-year-old big man will likely start alongside Victor Wembanyama in the frontcourt for the 19th time this season.
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Spurs' Zach Collins: Near double-double
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Collins recorded 16 points (6-13 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), nine rebounds, three assists and one block over 28 minutes before fouling out of Wednesday's 109-102 loss to the Clippers.
Collins extended his double-digit scoring streak to 12 games and fell one rebound short of his second double-double during that stretch. The oft-injured big man is in the midst of a renaissance campaign, averaging 15.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.6 steals-plus-blocks in 29.7 minutes per game.
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Spurs' Zach Collins: Solid all-around effort
Rotowire
Collins fouled out of Saturday's 120-108 loss to the Grizzlies after recording 16 points (4-8 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 7-8 FT), seven rebounds and six assists over 26 minutes.
Collins has done an excellent job as the Spurs' starting center and found ways to produce on both ends of the court without taking the spotlight away from some of the other young players, mainly Victor Wembanyama. Collins has scored in double digits while grabbing at least seven rebounds in each of his last four appearances.
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Spurs' Zach Collins: Versatile contributor in defeat
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Collins supplied 28 points (10-14 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 5-6 FT), eight rebounds, five assists, one block and three steals in 34 minutes during Friday's 129-120 loss to the Kings.
Collins' playing time remained consistent during Friday's matchup, and he was productive from the charity stripe and three-point range in the narrow loss en route to his best scoring total of the season. He fell just short of a double-double but had plenty of output on both ends of the floor. He's topped 10 points in nine consecutive appearances, averaging 16.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 29.6 minutes per game during that time.
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Spurs' Zach Collins: Scores 18 in loss to Miami
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Collins racked up 18 points (6-14 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 5-6 FT), five rebounds, two assists and one block over 33 minutes during Sunday's 118-113 loss to the Heat.
Collins continues to be a fixture in the Spurs' starting lineup, and his 33 minutes of action Sunday represented a decent uptick after he'd played 24, 24 and 20 minutes, respectively, over San Antonio's previous three games. Collins is not an elite rebounder for his position, but he's an above-average passer (4.0 APG) who offers some three-pointers and hovers around 1.0 blocks per game.
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Spurs' Zach Collins: Strong double-double in loss
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Collins provided 21 points (8-17 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 4-6 FT), 11 rebounds, five assists and one block in 38 minutes during Sunday's 123-116 overtime loss to the Raptors.
Collins didn't have his best shooting performance, as he needed 17 shots to score 21 points as a big man who tends to play near the rim most of the time, but he still delivered a solid fantasy line. To note, he delivered season-high numbers in points and rebounds while posting his first double-double of the year, and he has also dished out four or more assists in five games in a row. Collins holds a secondary role in an offense led by Victor Wembanyama and Keldon Johnson, but he's making the most of his role on both ends of the court, and his early-season numbers have allowed him to become a relevant asset in most formats.
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Spurs' Zach Collins: Pops for 19 in win
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Collins supplied 19 points (7-10 FG, 3-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds and four assists over 35 minutes during Thursday's 132-121 win over Phoenix.
While rookie Victor Wembanyama did most of the heavy lifting for the Spurs, his veteran frontcourt partner also chipped in a season-best effort both in points and boards. Collins is still looking for his first double-double of the campaign after producing a career-high nine in 63 games for the Spurs last season, but with the focus of the team's game plan quickly shifting toward Wembanyama, he may not see the same opportunities he did down the stretch in 2022-23 following the Jakob Poeltl trade.
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Spurs' Zach Collins: Unimpressive in loss
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Collins racked up nine points (4-11 FG, 1-4 3Pt), six rebounds and four assists over 25 minutes during Sunday's 123-83 loss to the Clippers.
Collins co-led San Antonio in assists and might have deserved more if not for his teammates shooting a lowly 37.7 percent shooting from the field. The Spurs trailed by 30 points from the third quarter onward, which contributed to Collins' lessened workload. He'll look to piece together a stronger outing Tuesday versus Phoenix.
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Spurs' Zach Collins: Good to go Wednesday
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Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Collins (illness) will play in Wednesday's season opener against the Mavericks, Bruno Passos of PoundingTheRock.com reports.
Collins has been upgraded from questionable to available Wednesday despite dealing with an illness. Collins is expected to start in the frontcourt alongside Victor Wembanyama.
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Spurs' Zach Collins: Participates in shootaround
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Collins (illness) participated in the Spurs' shootaround ahead of Wednesday's game against Dallas, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News reports.
Collins is questionable for Wednesday's matchup due to a non-COVID illness, but it's encouraging that he didn't appear to have any limitations during shootaround. He seems to be trending in the right direction ahead of the regular-season opener.
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Spurs' Zach Collins: Battling illness
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Collins (illness) is questionable for Wednesday's opener versus Dallas, Andrew Lopez of ESPN.com reports.
Collins is dealing with a non-COVID illness. Tuesday's injury report is the first mention of the ailment, which the 25-year-old will hope to shake prior to Wednesday night.
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Spurs' Zach Collins: Earns two-year extension
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Collins signed a two-year, $35 million extension with San Antonio on Sunday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Collins locks up a payday through the 2025-26 season. San Antonio is seemingly confident in Collins' frontcourt chemistry with Victor Wembanyama, and his connectivity was on display as he racked up 19 assists across four preseason games. He also profiles as a physical enforcer and leader on a young Spurs squad. The 25-year-old averaged 11.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 51.8 percent from the field with a career-high workload last season.
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Spurs' Zach Collins: Solid all-around effort
Rotowire
Collins delivered 13 points (6-11 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 0-1 FT), three rebounds, four assists and two steals across 20 minutes in Friday's 122-117 preseason win over the Warriors.
Collins is slated to open the season as the Spurs' starting center, giving San Antonio a physical presence in the frontcourt alongside the positionless, free-flowing presence of Victor Wembanyama. Collins can provide decent numbers if given enough minutes and is coming off a 2022-23 season in which he averaged 14.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 0.8 blocks per game when deployed in the first unit (26 starts).
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Spurs' Zach Collins: Excellent despite defeat
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Collins totaled 18 points (8-10 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 0-2 FT), eight rebounds, five assists and a block across 22 minutes in Monday's 99-89 preseason loss to the Rockets.
Collins was one of San Antonio's best players in this one, and the veteran continues to strengthen his grip on a starting role for Opening Night of the 2023-24 season. While he could eventually move to the bench if Victor Wembanyama (rest) shifts to center on a permanent basis, the pairing of those two players makes sense at the moment. The prized rookie will partner with a tough, physical veteran who will help him learn the nuances of the position. Collins can also provide decent numbers if given enough minutes.
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Spurs' Zach Collins: Returns to action
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Collins (rest) is starting Monday's preseason game against Houston, Lachard Binkley of TheDreamShake.com reports.
Collins will return to the starting five after getting a chance to rest during Friday's exhibition. Charles Bassey returns to a bench role as a result.
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Spurs' Zach Collins: Resting Friday
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Collins won't play in Friday's preseason game against Miami for rest purposes, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News reports.
Collins isn't dealing with an injury, and coach Gregg Popovich is simply electing to give him a night off with just under two weeks remaining until the start of the regular season. Collins' next chance to suit up will be during Monday's exhibition matchup against Houston.
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Spurs' Zach Collins: Undergoes finger surgery
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Collins (finger) underwent surgery on April 8 to address an infection in his finger, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News reports.
Collins sustained a cut on his finger April 6 against Portland and missed the final two games of the regular season. It was initially believed to be only a minor issue, but a subsequent infection sent the big man to the hospital. "I was in the hospital overnight," Collins said. "It was just so much for something so small. It was crazy." With the Spurs' season over, there's no long-term concern here, and Collins should be back up to speed within the next few weeks. In his second season in San Antonio, Collins appeared in 63 games (26 starts) and logged averages of 11.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 0.8 blocks in 22.9 minutes per contest.
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Spurs' Zach Collins: Out for final two games
Rotowire
Collins (finger) will not appear in the Spurs' final two games, Tom Osborn of the San Antonio Express-News reports.
The team sent Collins home due to an issue with the stitches on his finger, so he'll remain out for the rest of the season. The 2022-23 campaign was an important step in the right direction for the young big, who has dealt with injuries throughout his career, appearing in only 245 games since being drafted No. 10 overall in 2017. Collins set career marks in points (11.6), rebounds (6.4) and assists (2.9) per game, plus field-goal percentage (51.8) and three-point percentage (37.4). In his career-high 26 starts, the Gonzaga product averaged 14.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.7 combined steals-plus-blocks in 28.2 minutes.
