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Utah Jazz: 5 goals for Grayson Allen’s rookie season

By Mason McFee

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JULY 5: Grayson Allen #24 of the Utah Jazz speaks to the media after the game against the Atlanta Hawks on July 5, 2018 at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JULY 5: Grayson Allen #24 of the Utah Jazz speaks to the media after the game against the Atlanta Hawks on July 5, 2018 at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Jasear Thompson/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Jasear Thompson/NBAE via Getty Images /

Grayson Allen was the Utah Jazz’s first and only selection of the 2018 NBA Draft. How should the newest Jazz man approach his rookie season?

By now, Utah Jazz fans know that Grayson Allen was selected with their first round pick, the 21st overall selection in the 2018 NBA Draft. Unlike the man pictured to his left (technically right, but you get it), Allen is more of a known commodity heading into his rookie season.

During his time at Duke, Allen accumulated a career 38 percent shooting clip from beyond the arc. His best season was during his sophomore year, where he averaged 21.6 points per game (up from 4.4 his freshman season) to go with a solid 41.7 3-point percentage. His career 3.2 assists per game average also suggest he could be a secondary playmaker at the next level like he was for the Blue Devils. NBA Summer League offered some insight to the latter (and then some).

During the brief two-game stint Allen played (out of a possible three) in Utah, the early results were a mixed bag. Allen averaged an impressive 7.0 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game to go along with 10.0 points and 2.0 steals per contest, but shot 21 percent from the floor. Small sample sizes are the absolute worst way to judge a rookie’s performance, but Allen’s time in Sin City atoned for his early mishaps.

In Vegas, Allen’s shooting woes continued despite increasing his field goal percentage by 17 percent from Utah. His scoring average increased to 16.5 points per game, but his assists average dipped a little to 4.0 per game. Somewhat surprisingly, Allen’s rebounding numbers only dropped to 6.5 per game, tied for second best on the roster. What does this mean for Allen moving forward?

It means he has more tangible goals moving forward.

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