June 29, 2018

Kyle Collinsworth
SG/SF - 6’6, 210lbs - 26 years old - 1 year of experience

Long on Dallas’s radar, Collinsworth finally got time in the NBA with them this season, and showed the fairly unique game he always had at BYU. Up to a point, it translates to this level.

A passer by trade, Collinsworth threw some passes with flair here, too. A non-shooter, Collinsworth still managed to exploit any defender closing him out (which they still do by instinct despite his status as a non-shooting threat), and by hitting cutters when passing on the drive. He really does have excellent passing vision and skill, and has always been unselfish on the court.

Collinsworth also rebounds well for his size, too. Despite lacking in NBA athleticism and explosion, and standing at a fairly average 6’6 without much length, Collinsworth rebounded better than Harrison Barnes, using his smarts and graft to win boards he should not have been winning. He is intelligent, and a competitor, and all of those other clichés conveyed onto unathletic players who the commentariat want to root for despite their natural disadvantages. And they are all legitimately applied here.

As for how to stick in the NBA? Become a shooter. It hasn’t happened for him in all these years, and he seems to lack natural rhythm in the shot. But this summer he should go and find some. Unathletic NBA wings need jumpers, despite all the flashy passing. Collinsworth sees the court very well and has lots of natural instincts for the game, plus a good IQ and some talents. But unless he can score a bit more than this, he will not be a net positive.

Player Plan: Two years of unguaranteed minimum salary remaining. There is a talent upgrade needed at his position that might wind up ultimately squeezing him out, and he still has work to do despite his age for a prospect. Nevertheless, even if he is cut, he will surely stay on the Mavericks’ radar. A two-way contract player, maybe, despite how galling that would be coming off of a full contract.

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