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2017 NBA Mock Draft, Week 26: The Timberwolves’ young core improves

By Chris Stone

Jan 14, 2017; Stanford, CA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) gets the rebound against the Stanford Cardinal in the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 14, 2017; Stanford, CA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) gets the rebound against the Stanford Cardinal in the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 14, 2017; Norman, OK, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Jarrett Allen (31) drives to the basket against Oklahoma Sooners forward Dante Buford (21) during the first half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 14, 2017; Norman, OK, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Jarrett Allen (31) drives to the basket against Oklahoma Sooners forward Dante Buford (21) during the first half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
Learn more about Jarrett Allen at The Step Back.

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Jarrett Allen

C, Texas

Draft status: In with an agent

The Portland Trail Blazers have three first round picks in the 2017 draft and the first one goes towards finding some front court depth. Texas big man Jarrett Allen has all of the physical tools to be a quality defender at the next level, he just needs to put the pieces together into something more coherent.

At 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan, Allen has elite length for a shot blocker. He also has solid athleticism and should theoretically be able to erase shots at the rim. The statistics, though, don’t tell that story. Allen averaged just 1.9 blocks per 40 minutes this season. One possible explanation is that he played alongside another big man and that caused him to be drawn out of the paint with more regularity. Another possible explanation is that the aggression to chase shots just wasn’t there. Either way, Allen will need to improve on that number statistically and he has the tools to do so.

On offense, Allen against struggled to find a defined role because of Texas’ reliance on two bigs up front. Allen generated a lot of his points on energy baskets and working off of screens or drive-and-dish chances. He does have a bit of a mid-range game and the shot doesn’t look broken, so if he can build that out, it would help immensely.

Learn more about Jarrett Allen at The Step Back.