"They're a deep team," he said. "I think the thing that makes them a little bit different is the fact that you have four guys that can handle the ball for them when you look at [Jrue] Holiday, [Lou] Williams, [Evan] Turner and [Andre] Iguodala, so that makes them different.
"Oftentimes they're running their offense through Iguodala, who I think is a tough matchup because of all the different things that he does. And then when they bring [Thaddeus] Young in off the bench it's another guy who can out-quick people, so you're worried about that. And then [Elton] Brand is Brand and [Jodie] Meeks has really come a long way, shooting the ball with confidence. And if [Spencer] Hawes is able to play, he's another skilled guy. [Tony] Battie is an experienced big who, when he's called upon, can play and [Nikola] Vucevic is a very impressive young player.
"They are a complete team. They are very well-balanced, they're very good offensively and they're very good defensively and they're young. As these guys have gotten experience, they've gotten a lot better. Doug has done a great job with them. They never beat themselves, they take care of the ball and if you turn it over against them they'll get out on the open floor and beat you with their athleticism."
Empathy for Hawes
When asked again how starting center Spencer Hawes may be progressing with his strained left Achilles', which forced him to miss his ninth straight game, Doug Collins said the decision to return will be up to Hawes and Hawes alone.
During his playing days, Collins was often questioned about injuries that sidelined him. Ultimately, he says, it cost him his career, so he will not rush Hawes.
"When I was playing people questioned my pain threshold," Collins said. "So I wound up playing on two broken feet and it cost me my career.
