Sherron Collins went undrafted out of Kansas and after impressing in the NBA summer league, including a 32-point performance, he signed a two-year contract with the Charlotte Bobcats.

Going undrafted motivated Collins to work harder and once the Bobcats signed him he “wanted to work hard to show the Bobcats they had made a good decision, and take out [his] frustration on everyone else in the league.”

On December 8th, the Bobcats sent Collins to the NBA D-League so he could gain some game experience as opposed to sitting on the bench. Bobcats head coach Larry Brown told the media this week he could tell Collins “really benefitted from the five games in the D-League” and that they had really helped him to develop.

Brown also said he wished a lot more players could have the opportunity to spend some time in the D-league gaining valuable experience before being thrown into an NBA game.

After spending five games in the NBA D-League with the Maine Red Claws, Collins returned to the Charlotte Bobcats and was given the challenge of trying to guard one of the most talented point guards in the NBA in Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook is currently averaging 21.1 points (T-12th in NBA), 8.5 assists (8th in NBA), 5 rebounds, and 2 steals (7th in NBA) per game this season. He is currently tied for the most double-doubles amongst guards at 14 and he and LeBron James are the only 2 players in the NBA to average more than 20 points, more than 5 rebounds, and more than 5 assists per game.

Needless to say Westbrook is one of the most dominant point guards in the NBA and a tough matchup for anyone, let alone someone who has not yet been acclimated to the pace of the NBA.

In his first game back, Collins entered in the second quarter and immediately matched up with the red hot Westbrook. During the nine and a half minutes Collins spent guarding Westbrook, he forced four turnovers and caused him to go 1-3 from the field for two points. He also managed find openings in a defense that the Bobcat’s starters had been struggling to crack.

After the game Collins told HOOPSADDICT.com getting to play against the one of the best in Westbrook really got him “geeked up” to play and he enjoys the challenge of playing against the best.

He also admitted to feeling the pressure at first, but when he hit a 3-pointer soon after entering the game, “It lifted a little weight off [his] back and after that [he] was pretty much good once [he] heard the crowd going.”

After the game coach Larry Brown said Collins was great because he stayed in front of Russell Westbrook while being great off the pick-and-roll. In a press conference where Larry Brown had countless negative comments to say about the team’s performance, Collins’ performance was one of the few bright spots.

Despite his frustrations at not getting the playing time he wants on the Bobcats, Collins maintains a positive attitude and says that one of his traits his college coach always praised him for is that “he can come into a room and lift the room up. [He] is always smiling, always joyful no matter what the situation is.”

As Brown continues to assert that he only wants players willing to hustle and display heart out on the court, look for Collins to receive more minutes in the future.