Zach Collins' Consistent Preseason: Will the Bulls Give Him More?

Kevin Lu

Oct 17, 2025, 16:59

Kevin Lu

Oct 17, 2025, 16:59

Updated at: Oct 17, 2025, 16:59

Zach Collins has been one of the Bulls' most consistent performers this preseason, quietly building a case for an expanded role heading into the regular season.

While headlines surround Josh Giddey's new contract and Matas Buzelis' breakout preseason, one big man from the bench has quietly put together one of the most consistent performances across Chicago's five exhibition games.

That's Zach Collins.

Over the preseason, Collins averaged 11.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 steal in 17.5 minutes, shooting 50% from beyond the arc. In the second preseason game, he started and scored 13 points with 8 rebounds, nailing two of three three-pointers. His efficiency and consistency have been impossible to ignore.

"He's done a really good job running the floor," Billy Donovan said after the preseason finale. "I do think he generates easy baskets, he gives us rim protection (physically)...I think he's had a very good preseason."

With more minutes, Collins has shown an expanded presence both inside and outside. His relatively modest stat line doesn't capture his subtle playmaking—when he moves up high on the perimeter with the ball, he functions as a command tower, finding cutters and spacing teammates for quick attacks.

Collins' journey to consistent minutes hasn't been straightforward. He joined the Bulls midway through last season via trade from San Antonio, where he slumped with just 4.6 points in 11.8 minutes per game across four starts. When he arrived in Chicago in February, the timing aligned perfectly with injuries to Nikola Vucevic and Jalen Smith. Collins seized the opportunity, starting eight of his remaining 28 games and averaging 8.6 points and 6.7 rebounds in 19.7 minutes.

"When the trade happened from San Antonio, he wasn't playing as much, and certainly the style of playing tempo was a bit different," Donovan said. "So for him to have the 27 games, have an offseason, he's done a really good job for us all the way around."

The preseason finale suggested Donovan may lean on Collins more heading into 2025-26. Against Minnesota, he scored 10 points and made consecutive buckets in the third quarter when the Timberwolves mounted waves of pressure, showcasing his instant impact off the bench.

As Donovan emphasized rotation flexibility throughout the preseason, the Bulls appear ready to embrace a "bigger" approach when facing opponents with size and rebounding traits. This could mean Collins appears more frequently behind Vucevic or even pairing with him in certain lineups.

But will this translate to significantly more playing time? Probably not. When asked whether he'd take advantage of players like Julian Phillips—who exploded for 17 points in the finale despite limited starts—Donovan acknowledged the difficulty of managing deep rotations. Collins is likely to maintain a role similar to last season's 19.7 minutes per game, but an increased tactical usage aligned with the team's emphasis on physicality and pace is expected.

Meanwhile, the internal competition with Smith matters. The reserve big started the preseason finale alongside Vucevic against Minnesota, which paired Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert, flashing the ability to find space and attack the rim while even connecting from three-point range.

Donovan's emphasis on rotation flexibility indicates both reserves will share playing time and usage. Importantly, Collins and Smith have shown they can complement each other on the floor—both capable of running in transition under Donovan's high-tempo scheme. This pairing could become a tactical wrinkle Donovan deploys in certain matchups, meaning neither big necessarily needs a significant minutes increase to impact winning.

What's clear is Donovan trusts Collins' two-way ability. The big man came into camp in excellent shape and has demonstrated the kind of floor running and rim protection Chicago needs. As the Bulls inject more physicality into their identity, Collins could become a more frequent solution in specific matchups.

Zach Collins' Consistent Preseason: Will the Bulls Give Him More?