Grayson Allen, Duke Blue Devils
Class: Junior
Age: 21 (10/8/1995)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’4.5″, 189 pounds, 6’6.5″
2015-16 Slash Line: .466/.417/.837
2015-16 Season Averages: 36.6 MPG, 21.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 2.5 3PM
Phil Jackson may not have much faith in prospects who have played for the Duke Blue Devils, but that doesn’t mean he’ll write them off. In the case of Grayson Allen, he could be the 3-point shooting assassin who helps transform the New York Knicks’ offense.
Allen needs to improve his defensive consistency and ball-handling, but he has the perfect skill set to excel in the contemporary NBA.
Allen made 90 3-point field goals on 41.7 percent shooting during the 2015-16 season. He averaged 21.6 points on 46.6 percent shooting from the field overall, and excelled as a facilitator with an average of 3.5 assists per game.
Allen is an elite 3-point shooter who can attack closeouts and distribute to his teammates when given clear opportunities to pass.
What Allen will need to do is improve the consistency with which he breaks down defenders from a stationary stance. He wouldn’t be drafted to be a star in New York, but the more he can do, the more flexible Jeff Hornacek could be in his use of Allen.
Even as he currently is, Allen’s offensive skill set is beyond ideal for Hornacek’s motion offense. He should be a top target.