San Antonio Spurs' Zach Collins: 'We All Took This Summer Really Seriously'

Zach Collins enters training camp as the projected starting center for the San Antonio Spurs.

Anytime San Antonio Spurs center Zach Collins decided to check out the buzz around his name this offseason, he likely didn't leave happy. With the arrival of Victor Wembanyama, not only was his impact in question in San Antonio, but his job was, too.

The idea of Collins being relegated to the bench to leave room for the 7-footer was thrown around plenty of times, with many even questioning whether or not he'd remain on the team. But despite the not-so-uplifting noise, he remained focused on his team and its collective mindset.

"We want to win," Collins said. "As a competitor, that's all you want to do. That's why it's fun. And that's our goal, for sure. We want to win as many games as we can and take what we learned last year."

San Antonio finished last season with the third-worst record in the league — which ultimately earned them Wembanyama's draft rights — but apart from adding a generational talent, Collins went on to say that the team was also improving organically.

San Antonio Spurs center Zach Collins / Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

"I think being together so long now," Collins said. "Everybody is growing up a little bit. [We all] took this summer really seriously. We all got a lot better. ... and I think we made all the right steps to do that."

Defense was Collins' key word for the year, which starts with him down low. Collins averaged 1.4 stocks last season, which isn't enough to put him near the top of the league on the defensive end, but it does mean he used his height to his advantage — with room to improve. With a 7-4 rim protector potentially next to him on the court, the potential is certainly there, and Collins believes he can help that come to fruition.

"Just like with any rookie ... spacing." Collins said of how he can help Wembanyama. "Knowing where to go on the court, especially [since] he's always been "The Guy" on his [other] teams. ... I think it's going to make the game easier for him."

Safe to say, Collins is excited for the prospect of starting alongside Wembanyama.

If Collins' hard work this summer says anything, he should be in line for a successful season with the Spurs.