At a time when the Brooklyn Nets needed more from Jarrett Allen than they have over his first three seasons, the 6-foot-11 center delivered.
With a reshuffled roster for the NBA restart in Orlando, the Nets coalesced around a core of Allen, Caris LeVert, and Joe Harris. Allen, having been moved to the second unit just before the season was suspended in March after two years as the starter, moved back into the lineup and logged 33.7 minutes per game after averaging 25.7 through March. In 10 games in Orlando, Allen averaged 13.7 points, 14.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
It was a stretch of assertiveness that the Nets have seen before from the 22-year-old center. In the fall, after the Nets lost Kyrie Irving and LeVert to injury, the Brooklyn offense relied heavily on Allen, Harris, and Spencer Dinwiddie. Over 18 games from mid-November to late December, Allen averaged 14.8 points and 11.8 rebounds, helping push another shorthanded version of the Nets roster to a 12-6 record through that stretch.
Allen ended up second in the NBA in field goal percentage with a career-high 64.9 rate. His 11.1 points and 9.6 rebounds were also career highs for the third-year center.
TOP THREE GAMES
Nov. 20 vs. Hornets
Allen had 22 points, 17 rebounds, two steals and shot 9-of-12 in a 101-91 win over Charlotte, scoring nine points in the first five minutes of the second half to push Brooklyn’s lead to double digits.
Nov. 25 at Cavaliers
Allen posted his second career 20/20 game as the Nets held off Cleveland 108-106, finishing with 22 points, 21 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks in 34 minutes, shooting 9-of-10. This was part of a string of 10 consecutive double-figure rebound games for Allen.
Aug. 2 vs. Wizards
Allen posted five double-doubles while averaging 14.0 rebounds over 10 games in Orlando. In a 118-110 win that set the course for Brooklyn on the NBA Campus, he had 22 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block in 38 minutes. Allen shot 6-of-10 from the field and 10-of-10 from the line.
BY THE NUMBERS
177
Allen was fourth in the NBA in dunks, with the most ever by a Net since the statistic was first tracked during the 1997-98 season.
8.2
Allen was 14th in the NBA in win shares according to basketball-reference.com, the highest ranking among Nets players.
31
Allen led the Nets with 31 double-doubles.
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