The San Antonio Minute: Is It Time to Rethink Zach Collins in San Antonio?

The San Antonio Spurs signed Zach Collins to a two-year extension a little over a year ago, but so far, being the traditional center next to Victor Wembanyama hasn't seemed to work.

Matt Guzman | Dec 8, 2024

Dec 3, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Zach Collins (23) against Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) during an NBA Cup game at Footprint Center. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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San Antonio Spurs

SAN ANTONIO — It's a hard topic to ignore, especially after his ejection, but there seems to be a problem in San Antonio centered around Zach Collins.

The center, still signed to a two-year extension that keeps him in San Antonio through next season, has the skill set to make him a solid traditional center next to Victor Wembanyama, who plays a more fluid game as a big man, but it just hasn't seemed to work.

Though he’s been a steady veteran presence on a young roster, his on-court role remains in flux.

Once expected to complement Victor Wembanyama as the starting center, Collins was moved to the bench midway through last season to provide "stability," as coach Gregg Popovich explained. While he adapted well and embraced his new role, Collins still needed to prove he could produce.

That result hasn't been so promising.

This season, the center has averaged just six points and three rebounds — the former just a shade above his career worst and the latter a career low — and hasn't been able to share the court with Wembanyama.

In games when the 20-year-old has missed, Collins has had his strongest showings, which doesn't bode well for a continued partnership, though San Antonio seemingly remains willing to make it wok with Collins.

The question now is for how long.

Check out the latest episode of The San Antonio Minute to dive deeper:

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MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.