Portland Trail Blazers forward Zach Collins. Photo Credit: NBA.com
Portland Trail Blazers forward Zach Collins checked in with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on an episode of Scoop B Radio. Press Play Below To Listen.
The Portland Trail Blazers’ Zach Collins got his first start in NBA preseason the other day. Starting at power forward, he finished the game with eight points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in 24 minutes.
Collins can stuff stats the 19-year old has hauled in at least five rebounds in three preseason games. A first round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Collins is finding his way on a Portland team that is not stingy on height.
While prepping for the season, Collins chatted with me in a Q&A on Scoop B Radio. He discussed his Gonzaga team losing to UNC in the 2017 National Championship game and why Travis Scott, Green Day and Metallica are in constant rotation on his headphones.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Writers are saying that you are a sleeper, do you agree with that theory?
Zach Collins: A little bit. There’s also a lot of people in this draft that say that I’ve been good for a long time so they expect me to be good so that goes both ways especially on social media so it’s a little bit up and down but to the people that think I’m a sleeper I appreciate it and I’m looking to prove them wrong.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Funny story, National Championship Game I fell asleep on the first half and I’m thinking y’all got that in the bag. I happened to turn over, look at my phone and the TV was on and it was like 35-30 at the half so I’m like “yea they got it.” It was raining at my house, I fell asleep again and I woke up and said, “How the hell did y’all lose?!” Have you heard other stories like that?
Zach Collins: Yeah, I hear stories like that all the time but it’s such a long game and a lot of people were expecting us to win especially how we played in the first half and went into the locker room up five a lot of people were like man we thought you guys had it, you guys were right there so they picked us to win but I don’t know it was just a tough game where two juggernauts were going at it.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: How often do you replay those fouls and do you think you were wronged?
Zach Collins: I mean I rewatched the game a lot you know there were a lot of fouls that could have been questionable here and there but I think that happens in every game. I’m mad at myself because the fouls that were fouls put me in a position where I had to many and I fouled out and I feel like that there were a lot of things that happened in the game but I feel like me fouling out put us in a position where we couldn’t play our regular rotations and we got out of rhythm so I kind of put some of that on me fouling out, you can’t put wins and losses on the refs.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: I’m curious, the South Carolina game you were on fire you had like six blocks, 15 points, 9 rebounds?
Zach Collins: I think I had like 14 points, 15 rebounds
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: I know you had six blocks, what the hell were you listening to before the game? I want to know I need to know the secret.
Zach Collins: To be honest with you I can’t remember it probably was like some Travis Scott something deep and methodic.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: So, you had a lot of blocks, you had a lot of points was Travis Scott a big motivator for you going into that game?
Zach Collins sporting his suit on the red carpet of he 2017 NBA Draft in Brooklyn, New York. Photo Credit: NBA.com
Zach Collins: I mean a little bit I love Travis Scott and with the rappers and musicians coming out now a lot of it sounds the same but his is different it’s real dark and methodic like I said and stuff like that puts me in the zone and kind of gets that edge to come out of me.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Who else’s music motivates you?
Zach Collins: As far as rock, I like Green Day and Metallica, I like Logic just a bunch of rappers anything loud and hard I listen to before games.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: You get compared to different people all the time. If you had to pick one guy that motivates you or that your think your game is similar to who would it be?
Zach Collins: I tell people all the time I try to be as much of a combination of Tim Duncan and Dirk as I can because of the way Dirk can score and shoot the ball and the way Timmy can get any shot he wants on the floor and block shots and rebound.
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