Utah Jazz: Grayson Allen’s abysmal rookie season
By Josh Padmore
Unfortunately, Utah Jazz rookie Grayson Allen has really struggled during his first season as an NBA player. He’s not looking like the 21st overall pick that the Jazz made him last June.
As Patrick Beverley once said: “Men lie, women lie, but the numbers don’t.” For Utah Jazz guard Grayson Allen, the numbers are certainly not lying.
The 23-year-old rookie from Duke is shooting just 31.2 percent from the field and 27.5 percent from deep. He’s totaled just 11 rebounds and 17 assists through 276 minutes of action. I’m not huge on some of the advanced stats in the NBA, but get this: Grayson ranks 486th of 490 players in Real Plus-Minus, with a negative-5.49 rating.
When Real Plus-Minus was first introduced, here’s how ESPN defined it as an estimate of “how many points each player adds or subtracts, on average, to his team’s net scoring margin for each 100 possessions played.”
Real Plus-Minus is considered by some to be a more reliable stat compared to the normal plus/minus because it doesn’t take the four other players sharing the court into consideration. It’s all about one player and their impact on the team. Allen has struggled to contribute for the Jazz, and it shows.
I like Allen’s role player potential, for sure. I think he can be a nice player on a contending team. Someone that comes in, hits some shots and just pisses the opposition off. Allen looked very good during the preseason, but has had quite a hiccup since the real season began.
My personal strategy with rookies would be to ease them in, unless they’re entering the league older and ready. Allen played four years at Duke and is 23 years old. It’s not like he’s a 19-year-old kid. I definitely expected more from Grayson.
He’s had opportunities, too. He even started a game earlier this season.
So far, he’s not living up to his 21st overall selection. Guys like Landry Shamet, Aaron Holiday and Rodions Kurucs were all available when Utah was on the clock.
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I’m not writing off Allen, that would be incredibly unfair, but you can’t blame me for being very disappointed with what he’s done as a rookie. We’ll see if the All-Star break treats Allen well and if he can secure a rotation spot for the remainder of the season. Probably not, but you never know. Next season will be crucial for him.