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2017 NBA Mock Draft: What if the Lakers don’t take Lonzo Ball?

By Chris Stone

Jan 25, 2017; Tempe, AZ, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) dribbles the ball against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the second half at Wells-Fargo Arena. The Sun Devils won 86-75. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 25, 2017; Tempe, AZ, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) dribbles the ball against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the second half at Wells-Fargo Arena. The Sun Devils won 86-75. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 4, 2017; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Jarrett Allen (31) dunks against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the first half at the Frank Erwin Center. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 4, 2017; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Jarrett Allen (31) dunks against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the first half at the Frank Erwin Center. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports /
Learn more about Jarrett Allen at The Step Back.

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15

Jarrett Allen

C, Texas

The Portland Trail Blazers have three first round picks in the 2017 NBA Draft, so they’ll have plenty of opportunities to fill out their roster needs. One of those needs is some backup help behind center Jusuf Nurkic, which is why Texas big man Jarrett Allen is the pick at No. 15.

Allen has excellent size for the center position at 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan. He should be a better rim protector than he showed in college where he blocked just 1.9 shots per 40 minutes as a freshman. His positioning in a two big lineup likely contributed to that low number. Allen also has some potential to slide with guards on the perimeter before switching back while defending pick-and-roll. Those two things alone make him a worthwhile center prospect.

Offensively, Allen still seems to be discovering his role. He played some pick-and-roll at Texas, but the Longhorns didn’t really have the quality of guards or shooters needed to make that work. He scored most of his points on post ups, dump offs or offensive rebounds. However, most centers derive their value from the defensive end and that’s where Allen could potentially thrive as an NBA player.

Learn more about Jarrett Allen at The Step Back.