The 2018 NBA Draft is a loaded class, so naturally fans were most interested in where potential franchise-changing talents like Deandre Ayton, Luka Doncic, Marvin Bagley III, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Mohamed Bamba would land.
And where the guy that had the most polarizing career in (recent) college basketball would land.
The Utah Jazz selected Duke shooting guard Grayson Allen with the 21st pick.
.@GraysonJAllen gets selected 21st overall by the @utahjazz in the 2018 #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/j3V7Hs7TU7
— NBA (@NBA) June 22, 2018
Allen had a tremendous four-year career at Duke, averaging 14.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and shooting 38% from behind the arc. He also won a national championship with the 2014-15 Blue Devils.
But his career was also known as much for his dirty antics on the court, particularly when it comes to tripping players.
Obviously if he tries to do these things in the NBA, it’s *not* going to go over well with the players.
But then there’s the whole question about how Allen’s game will translate to the NBA. He’s an excellent shot-maker and is a very good shooter off screens, and we know how valuable the three-point shot is in today’s game. He’s also a better athlete than he gets credit for (because stereotypes).
But his defense is a major, major question mark. In all likelihood, you’re looking at a long, decent NBA career, but probably never as a starter on a good team. As a reserve and three-point shooter, he can offer some nice value for an up-and-coming Jazz team. We’ll have to see if that’s enough value to be worthy of the No. 21 pick, of course, but you’re mainly just looking for quality role players at that point of the draft.
There was understandably plenty of reaction to Utah drafting the Ted Cruz lookalike, and here are some Twitter examples:
Let’s work bro @GraysonJAllen 😏🙏🏾
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) June 22, 2018
Back in college Donovan Mitchell slapped Grayson Allen on the head.
Now, they're teammates on the Utah Jazz. pic.twitter.com/wie4PR0Lsl
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) June 22, 2018
Have a nice trip to Utah, Grayson Allen pic.twitter.com/yKX1nrqMpy
— SB Nation (@SBNation) June 22, 2018
How much do you want to bet the Patriots draft Grayson Allen and put him at WR?
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) June 22, 2018
Grayson Allen's hug with his family was a little awkward pic.twitter.com/GIRLHTszEA
— Born Salty (@cjzero) June 22, 2018
Grayson Allen and Salt Lake City make just too much sense. pic.twitter.com/hJ8eOeoDTF
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 22, 2018
DONOVAN MITCHELL AND GRAYSON ALLEN IS ALREADY MY FAVORITE DUO IN THE NBA
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) June 22, 2018