NBA Draft Profile: Jarrett Allen

By Kels Dayton
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Updated: May 25, 2017

Jarrett Allen

6-11

Freshman

Texas

STRENGTHS: He’s 6-11 (probably 7 feet with that sweet ‘fro), and runs the floor like a wing. Allen is long and athletic, and has the physical tools to become a standout shotblocker (he averaged 1.5 at Texas last year).

He’s a crafty finisher with some unexpected self-awareness around the rim, and he’s also got a decent shooting stroke and nice touch, and could develop a trustworthy jumper.

He was up-and-down during his year in Austin, scoring 10 or fewer points 11 times in 33 games. He did have his moments though, scoring 22, grabbing 19 boards and swatting 3 shots in a 79-67 loss in Lawrence, and coming up with 22 and 9 in a 78-63 loss at TCU.

WEAKNESSES: Allen isn’t very polished offensively, and can’t be counted on to score in the post. He’s not strong enough to earn minutes in the league yet, and was too easily overwhelmed in college (he turned the ball over 2.5 times per game). A kid who averaged 13.4 points and 8.4 boards for an 11-22 team wouldn’t typically be a lottery pick, and there’s no doubt that Allen would be well-served by staying another year in school. But that’s not the world we live in today.

BOTTOM LINE:This kid is a project, but he’s got the length and athleticism that typically cause teams to throw money around like Lil Wayne in a music video. He might be best served being stashed in the D-League, where he can get some minutes and develop his game. Thanks to his size and athleticism though, he’s got a chance to be a solid rotation big, or even a defensive specialist, a few years down the road.