But about an hour before the Hawks tipped off against New York, Collins was alone in the Philips Arena practice gym, loosening up from a weight-lifting session with the famed Mikan Drill, tossing up layups under the basket first with his right hand, then with his left.
"It's part of being a professional and being on a great team," said Collins, a backup center. "Always be ready."
When the Hawks play at Miami Monday night, Collins may well earn another DNP-Coach's Decision. However, his efforts last Wednesday gave a glimpse of the value that Collins, an eight-year veteran who signed as a free agent in September, offers the Hawks.
"Jason's the kind of a guy that we need if we want to make any kind of serious playoff run or win a division or something like that," center Al Horford said. "He's a big player, big body, knows how to play and is an experienced player. He's a very important part to our team."
In the Hawks' second game against Cleveland last week, coach Mike Woodson sent him in the game primarily to defend Cavaliers center Shaquille O'Neal. Collins didn't even take a shot in his 11 minutes of play, but he blocked O'Neal on one trip down the floor in the second quarter and forced a miss on the next. On a Shaq-led fast break on the next possession, Collins even dared to take a charge on O'Neal, standing in the lane and taking the brunt of O'Neal's 325 pounds. (Collins was called for a block.)
Said Collins, "I figured that he didn't have a crossover or anything."
Collins' plus-minus rating (the points the Hawks scored compared to the Cavaliers' points while he was on the floor) was a team-best plus-12 for the game.
"That's the reason for bringing Jason in," Woodson said. "That's how you can utilize him against guys like [Orlando's Dwight] Howard, guys like [the Los Angeles Lakers' Pau] Gasol and [Andrew] Bynum. I don't have to double [team] at all because I do know one thing: he's a pretty good one-on-one defender on the blocks and if he's in trouble, he's going to take a hard foul."
Collins (7 feet, 265 pounds) has tangled with O'Neal ever since Collins' rookie season with New Jersey in 2001-02, when the Nets fell to O'Neal's Lakers in the NBA finals. He has scrapped plenty with Howard, as well. Effective one-man defense of O'Neal or Howard would help the Hawks in their bid to overcome the Cavaliers and Magic. Both teams are stocked with 3-point shooters who can penalize teams for double-teaming the post.
Collins describes his job as "play solid defense and rebound the ball, set screens, be physical out there. I have six fouls. I go out there and use them."
Collins stays in game shape with strength and conditioning coach Chattin Hill and by doing extra sprints before games with fellow backups Jeff Teague, Randolph Morris and Othello Hunter.
While Heat center Jermaine O'Neal might not be a likely matchup for Collins on Monday, New Jersey's Brook Lopez (7-0, 265), Boston's Kendrick Perkins (6-10, 280) and Howard (6-11, 265) are all on the schedule Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
Behind Horford and backup Zaza Pachulia, Collins has a different job than he's had in the past. He has 429 career starts to his credit and has has averaged double-digit minutes every season he has played.
But the Cleveland game was only the second appearance in the nine games he's played that wasn't a blowout. His 39 minutes are 12th on the team.
"I know what my role is on this team," Collins said. "Just go out there and when your name is called, be prepared."
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