Brooklyn Nets: Checking in on Jarrett Allen

As the Brooklyn Nets’ 2017-18 campaign comes to a close, it’s time to see how rookie Jarrett Allen has progressed in his inaugural campaign.

One of the lone bright spots in an otherwise uneventful Brooklyn Nets season has been the development of center Jarrett Allen. Drafted 22nd overall (pick came from the Bojan Bogdanovic trade), Allen has come a long way.

Allen’s lone season at the University of Texas was tumultuous. He was expected to do much more than he was capable of as a raw, athletic freshman. The fact that Allen, a rim-running, 18-year-old center, was the second-leading scorer was all you need to know about the team’s roster strength.

To say Allen learned a thing or two about losing would be an understatement, but he kept his head down, stuck to the grind, and came out a better person. His hard work and physical tools were enough to warrant a late first round selection.

The season

Allen’s first few months with the Nets were as wild as any rookie’s. Playing time fluctuated, and then the Nets traded for Jahlil Okafor. One could’ve argued Okafor would steal playing time from Allen, but this theory soon vaporized.

Allen’s stellar play, combined with Okafor looking like a 50-year-old, opened the door for Allen to become a regular starter the rest of the way. For rookies like Allen, opportunity like this is a panacea. Seeing Allen dive on pick-and-rolls has been a blast all season, and it has not gone unnoticed. Allen is converting on 69.1 percent of his looks within three feet of the basket.

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Teaming up with a shot-creator like D’Angelo Russell makes things quite easy for Allen. Even in his most novice stages of pick-and-roll initiation, Russell can do defenses dirty. At worst, D-Russ can throw a lob to Allen as a bailout, and for someone as long as Allen, D-lo’s margin for error on lobs is quite wide.

The best way to imagine this play set is to imagine an extremely diluted version of a James Harden–Clint Capela pick-and-roll. Both Nets have a long way to go to reach that status, and the shooters around them need to improve (the team as a whole is fifth from dead-last in 3-point efficiency), but the framework for such a tandem exists.

Allen will need to fill out his frame as he matures, as his body is very much a project. His athleticism and length make him quite the lob target as he bulks up to finish through contact better.

Improving his 3-point shot (27.3 percent) would help as well, but that is merely a luxury for a potential elite defender like Allen. That’s right, not just a rim protector — a defender. Allen’s lateral quickness is prevalent, which allows him to defend perimeter attackers in space to an extent. The same pick-and-roll sets that the Nets use will not be as successful against Allen and co. down the line.

Overall, Allen has had a promising rookie campaign. His averages of 7.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game don’t pop off the page, but few rookies’ stats actually do. This is especially true when considering context; the Nets are in contention for the worst record in basketball. The flaws in Brooklyn’s immediate roster go much deeper than Allen.

Next: 2017-18 Week 23 NBA Power Rankings

However, like Allen, such traits are on the upswing for the franchise. Since the turn of the calendar, the team has increased its 3-pointers made and overall points scored each month. The Nets are getting better right before our eyes, and Jarrett Allen should be a big part of it.