Grayson Allen – Earn NBA All-Rookie Honors
Although having Donovan Mitchell right in the thick of the Rookie of the Year race all throughout the season was one of the more entertaining story lines of 2017-18, it’s unlikely the Jazz will have such a player for a second straight year, especially considering that they ended up nabbing just one draft pick in Duke product Grayson Allen.
Allen has shown some good things in Summer League, but to assume that he’ll ascend to the top of a deep draft class is foolhardy at best. Still, if he’s able to find his shooting stroke in the NBA and maintain his hard-nosed defense and grit, there’s a chance he could sneak into Utah’s rotation and have enough of an impact to find himself as one of the better rookies in the league.
Having played four years at Duke, Allen is certainly more NBA-ready than some of his rookie counterparts, so to believe that he could play well enough and for a significant enough number of minutes to earn NBA All-Rookie Honors is certainly fathomable.
It won’t be an easy task on a crowded and talented roster, but just as Donovan Mitchell forced his way onto the scene, Allen should aim to do the same, even if it will be on a smaller scale than what the former was able to accomplish.