One of the more notable players who didn't return from last year’s roster was John Collins, even though he said he wanted to come back. The 29-year-old had a solid offensive year, averaging nearly 14 points on 55.2% shooting, but he also showed defensive weaknesses on the perimeter and inside the paint. So, the Clippers chose to part ways, leading Collins to sign a three-year contract with the Detroit Pistons.
Collins’ debut for Detroit arrived, and because he was constantly getting exposed on defense, particularly through switches, the Pistons quickly saw why the Clippers were comfortable letting him walk in free agency
The Pistons did win, thanks to Cade Cunningham and Co., but that shouldn't take away from how badly Collins underperformed on defense.
John Collins was not good at all on defense in his debut for the Detroit Pistons
Going into tonight, J.B. Bickerstaff and the Detroit Pistons were likely expecting John Collins to be at least average on defense. While it’s always been a concern, Collins has the athleticism and build to make a positive impact on that side of the ball.
Put simply, by the end of game one, everyone who was optimistic about Collins ended up disappointed.
From start to finish, throughout several possessions, Collins looked like he had no idea what to do. He failed to navigate switches, was out of position, and seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
That’s bad enough, and when you factor in his mediocre offense, six points on 3-for-7 shooting and 0-for-3 from distance, it’s hard not to think Collins was a straight-up liability on both sides of the ball.
He’s certainly one reason the Pistons fell behind by as much as 22 in the third quarter.
Fortunately for Detroit, Bickerstaff, being the experienced coach that he is, recognized that Collins was hurting more than helping, and replaced him with Javonte Green.
With Green being one of the main reasons the Pistons came back to win, and taking over immediately after taking over for Collins, it’s safe to say benching him was the game-changing decision. Had the former Clipper stayed put, there is almost no doubt Detroit would've proceeded to get crushed by the Celtics.
That said, the Pistons have officially witnessed one of the main reasons the Clippers didn’t want him back. Now it’s on Bickerstaff and Detroit’s staff to work around it, as Tyronn Lue did last season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google