2018 NBA Mock Draft: Promises, promises
player. 118. . G. Duke. Grayson Allen. 21
After Allen worked out in Utah in early June, Salt Lake Tribune writer Tony Jones wrote that Allen is “very much in consideration for Utah when it picks at No. 21 in the upcoming draft.” Cue Tim Allen’s confused sound he makes at the end of the title sequence for Home Improvement.
As Jones says in his piece, there’s no question that Allen is a talented basketball player. He was an above-average player on both ends of the floor by nearly every advanced metric, shape-shifted into a variety of roles throughout four college seasons, and won a championship.
As a senior, Allen eschewed any questions about his attitude, staying out of trouble and corralling a young Duke team that made the Elite Eight. He has the experience, talent and work ethic to contribute and get better as a professional.
The problem with the Jazz picking him at 21, if they indeed pull the trigger, is a matter of value. Allen is 27th on ESPN’s big board and 33rd on The Stepien’s. His fate is by no means sealed as a future member of the Jazz, but they are the team most publicly interested in him this high up, based on Jones’ report.
“I played point guard my last two years at Duke. I can continue to do that at the next level, but I still feel like I’m at my best off the ball,” Allen told media in Utah.
They need a player to pair with Donovan Mitchell in the backcourt, and Allen is a solid shooter and athlete — a second combo guard, rather than the pure point guard archetype Ricky Rubio offered this season. Maybe that’s the route they choose.