Utah Jazz: 5 predictions for the 2018-19 NBA season
By Mason McFee
5. Grayson Allen will earn his minutes
Donovan Mitchell averaged 33.4 minutes per game his rookie season, 2,638 in total. That’s only 243 short of the total minutes Utah’s two first round selections in 2014 (Dante Exum and Rodney Hood) played their entire rookie seasons combined. It was also Quin Snyder’s first year in Utah. The team would finish 38-44 that season, a 13-win improvement from the previous season.
That was then. This is now.
Barring a major injury and/or Grayson Allen adding something else to his game, the Duke rookie will never be on the trajectory Donovan Mitchell is on. That doesn’t mean he can’t contribute and make the most out of any opportunity given.
Grayson Allen won’t average 25 minutes off the bench right away, but he will have earned whatever minutes he gets.