Texas’ Allen on learning curve.
One season at UT showed skills need more time to develop
Jarrett Allen looks like a throwback, like he was plucked from a grainy ABA team photo and dropped into 2017.
Allen’s feathery Afro floats atop his head like a cloud, kept in check on the court by a headband. A slender mustache and vaguely noticeable wisps of a goatee frame his gap-toothed smile.
There was little for Allen to beam about during his sole season in Austin. Texas posted an 11-22 record and won just four Big 12 games, its worst showing in more than two decades. Allen’s numbers — 13.4 points, 8.4 points and 1.5 blocks per game — were strong for a freshman, but they weren’t an automatic golden ticket into the NBA draft lottery.
Even so, ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas wasn’t shocked by Allen’s decision to join the ranks of the one-and-dones.
“Things have changed,” Bilas said. “There’s more money in the draft, and there’s more money in the NBA. Players see their peers doing it and they want to be paid for the money they’re bringing in, and it’s hard to blame them for that.
“The other thing that’s really driving this that doesn’t get talked about a lot is, I think this one-and-done rule has been sort of blamed for players leaving early. But another thing that’s pulling them out earlier is the rookie wage scale.
“Years ago, you wanted to be higher up in the draft because you could sign a long-term contract. Contracts were being signed in the ’90s for $60 million. Now the players want to get the clock started earlier to get to their second contract so they could make some ‘real money.’ ”
Initially, Allen wasn’t sure about jump-starting his clock.
He entered the NBA draft pool March 21, but he did not forfeit his college eligibility until April 25. Pleased with his rising stock, Allen signed on with Tandem Sports & Entertainment, the same agency that represents former San Antonio Spurs star Tim Duncan.
“Throughout this basketball season, I felt I have grown as a basketball player and as a person while learning how to approach and prepare for the game,” Allen said. “These experiences and my continual improvement throughout this year have provided me the opportunity of a lifetime to live my dream of playing basketball at the highest level.”
You’ll frequently hear and see the adjective “raw” accompanying Allen’s name. It’s a fair descriptor.
Thin but long and athletic
At a tick over 6-10, the 234-pound Allen lacks prototypical center size. That relative shortcoming is mostly diminished by his 7-5 wingspan and 35½-inch vertical. He’s nimble and at ease running in transition and makes for a nice pick-androll finisher.
Open up Google and type in “Jarrett Allen dunk of the year” for a glimpse of what has scouts so intrigued.
It’s probably not a query West Virginia’s Sagaba Konate searches often — he was the victim, after all.
Allen already owns a serviceable stable of post moves, though he often has difficulty establishing position against bulkier big men. And his jump shot isn’t going to appear in any basketball basics videos, leaving his future murky as a floor-spacer.
“He had about a dozen double-doubles, did a much better job during the second half of the year,” Bilas said. “He’s raw, but he can use either hand. He’s got a pretty good left hand around the basket. But he’s sort of a limited jump shooter. His jump shooting is not great. But at his age you have to project him out, and I think he can develop into a really valuable piece in the NBA.”
The Austin native is still a teenager, 10 months away from his 20th birthday.
His path will require patience, both from him and his future team.
Allen used the NBA playoffs as an opportunity to study Rockets center Clint Capela, drafted 25th overall in 2014. The Rockets took their time developing the Swiss import, whose proportions are remarkably similar to Allen’s.
After spending much of his rookie season with the DLeague’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Capela turned into a parttime starter in his second season. He blossomed into James Harden’s favorite lob target this year and led the Rockets in rebounding (8.1), blocked shots (1.2) and field-goal percentage (64.3).
Eager to improve
That’s a realistic trajectory for Allen, though his aspirations are somewhat loftier than that.
“The thing that I’m so excited about with Jarrett is, his best basketball is way ahead of him,” Texas coach Shaka Smart said. “I say that for a guy that had a phenomenal freshman year, but his approach this past year has been so much focused on growth, on learning. He really gets a kick out of seeing ‘how good can I become in this area, in that area, how good can I get at this jump shot from the corner or this jump hook from this spot on the floor.’ ”
Thursday night at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Allen will shake NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s hand and try to squeeze his new team’s cap around his overflowing hair.
It probably won’t fit, but he’ll smile anyway.