This piece does not reflect the views of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Senior, G, Duke University
College Stats in 2017-18:
37 games, 35.6 MPG, 15.5 PPG, 4.6 APG, 3.3 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 41.8 FG%, 37.0 3P%, 85.0 FT%
First-team All-ACC (2016), Third-Team All-ACC (2018)
Where he’ll go:
Allen will likely be a late first round or early second round pick.
The Rundown:
Allen is one of the most divisive players of the last several years. Some see an incredibly athletic senior guard whose game can translate directly to the NBA and who led one of the best programs in the country for four years, including a national championship and several tournament runs.
Other see a player who has a hard time staying productive in big games, can’t keep his cool, and has displayed concerning bouts of unsportsmanlike conduct. Allen’s college career has been marked by several incidents where he tripped or took cheap shots at his opponents, including a time where he was suspended by Duke and stripped of his team captainship.
The team interview portion of his evaluations will be key for Allen, who needs to show teams that his tripping incidents were bad outlets of a healthy competitive spirit, rather than expressions of a player who can’t control his emotions.
“I’m just being myself,” he said of those interviews at the combine. “I’m showing that I’m a more quiet guy, more relaxed off the court, someone who really thinks the game through, has an I.Q. about the game, studies the game, who knows a lot more than running and jumping.”
Whatever you choose to believe about his on-court behavior, Allen is certainly talented. He demonstrated his ability to score when he dropped 37 points on Michigan State in November, and he’s one of the most athletic guards in this year’s draft class. Allen had a phenomenal showing at the combine, leading the class in lane agility, ranking seventh in the shuttle run, and third in max vertical. He’ll be able to hang with NBA competition. Take away from these numbers what you will though: in 2015 Devin Booker had the best lane agility, but last year the fastest player was Nigel Williams-Gross, who didn’t make a team. It’s important to be athletic, but athleticism alone isn’t enough to succeed.
Allen’s best statistical year at Duke was his sophomore year when he averaged 21.6 points per game, but he elected to return to school because he wanted to win another championship with the Blue Devils.Allen was unable to replicate his statistical success in his junior and senior years, but he was still productive and averaged a career high 4.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game as a senior.
The biggest factor in determining whether or not Allen can be successful in the league will be his development as a shooter. Allen’s role in the NBA is probably as a high-energy scorer off the bench, so if he can put the ball in the hoop, he’ll carve out a roll. Additionally, if Allen can continue to develop as a defender, he could turn into the type of "3 and D" player that always seem to have long NBA careers.