Getty Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins
John Collins is making sure to leave his mark on the opening night of NBA All-Star weekend. While Collins represents Team USA in the Rising Stars Challenge against Team World, his dunks throughout the first three quarters have grabbed a massive amount of attention. He’s done some superb things to show off his athleticism, but a 360 dunk off an alley-oop during a game is something I’ve rarely (if ever seen).
As Bleacher Report showed, Collins’ teammate Trae Young tossed up the alley-oop during the third quarter and that’s when the magic happened.
Collins went 360 off a Trae Young alley-oop. WOW.
If that wasn’t quite impressive enough, what the Hawks star did during the first half should get the job done. As The Render revealed, Collins tossed himself an alley-oop off the backboard and proceeded to throw down a vicious one-handed slam just before halftime.
Collins helped his team hold a 123-117 lead at the end of the third quarter by scoring 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting in 15 minutes. He’s also tacked on two rebounds, but the 6-foot-10 21-year-old is likely a bit more focused on getting some practice reps in before he competes in the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday night.
John Collins Set For NBA Slam Dunk Contest
While Collins has put his athleticism on display in this game, he’s not the odds-on favorite to take the crown at the dunk contest. As Odds Shark details, New York Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr. comes in as a +200 favorite while Collins and Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges are both listed at +225. Behind those three is the Oklahoma City Thunder’s high-flying Hamidou Diallo at +400.
Collins has put together a breakout 2018-19 campaign after averaging 10.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game as a rookie. Through the first 42 games of this season, the young forward has posted averages of 19.1 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and is shooting 57.4 percent from the field. Arguably the most impressive part is that he’s playing just 29.7 minutes per game, so it’s apparent the upside in his game is tremendous.
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