Grayson Allen Breakdown compiled and edited by Garrett Furubayashi

Age: 22

Position: Guard

College: Duke

Measurables

Height w/o Shoes: 6’3”

Height w/ Shoes: 6’4.5”

Weight: 198

Wingspan: 6’7.25

Standing Reach: 8’3”

Max Vertical: 40.5

College Statistics (2017/2018)

MPG: 35.6

PPG: 15.5

RPG: 3.3

ASTPG: 4.6

STLPG: 1.7

FT%: 85%

2-PT FG%: 50.3%

3-PT FG%: 37%

Comparisons: Eric Gordon, Danny Ainge

3 Things to Know

1. Good shooter with a nice offensive tool bag
2. Needs to improve his footwork on the perimeter
3. Plays with a lot of passion and toughness

Strengths

• Good shooter who possesses and has shown he has NBA range and the ability to knock down tough shots
• Good Free Throw shooter (Between 81-85% all four years)
• Excellent 3-point shooter (37% his senior year)
• High basketball IQ with good passing vision and distribution
• Gritty player who plays with a ton of passion and emotion
• His physicality and instincts make him a decent rebounder as a guard

Weaknesses

• Needs to improve his lateral quickness on the perimeter. Stands too flat footed
• Currently lacks burst and will need to improve his first step
• Ability to make tough shots sometimes impairs judgment and makes him throw up questionable ones
• Can he keep his emotions in check?

Summary

If your a basketball fan you’ve heard the name Grayson Allen before. He’s created quite a bit of controversy during his 4 year collegiate career, but whatever stance you take on him, no one can deny that he has NBA potential. Grayson hails from Jacksonville, Florida and was a McDonald’s All American, ranked 21st on ESPN’s top 100 for the 2014 class. He chose to play his college ball at Duke under legendary Coach Mike Krzyzewski. After getting adjusted his freshman year, Allen exploded onto the scene his sophomore year and became an anchor in the Duke lineup, averaging 21.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and shooting 46.6% from the field. Grayson saw a dip in production his junior and senior years; however he still played a key role for the Blue Devils and continued working towards his dreams in the NBA. Grayson possesses a strong offensive arsenal as he’s shown the ability to knock down tough shots from anywhere on the court, even from NBA range. While he can shoot the ball really well, he’s also been able to create space for himself on offense with his ability to attack closeouts and finish at the rim with either hand. Allen has also improved his passing and court vision during his 4 years and Duke, especially during his last 2 years where he impacted plays in other ways by facilitating scoring for players like Jayson Tatum and Marvin Bagley. At the next level, Allen will need to work on his burst and quickness to create seperation against NBA players. On the defensive end of the ball, Allen plays with a lot of passion and intensity; however, he needs to improve his footwork and lateral quickness when guarding on the perimeter. He tends to stand flat footed and gets burned way too easily, which will definitely impact his playing time. Finally, one question surrounding Allen as he moves on to the NBA is whether he can keep his emotions in check. He has a history of getting too emotionally involved in games, which can lead to certain plays that would appear “dirty.” Taking all these factors into account, Allen could potentially become an impact scorer who could help his team some nights by scoring 10 to 15 points coming off the bench. Look for Allen to be selected anywhere during the late first to the early second round.

Locke’s Take:  The NBA game is going to be much kinder to Grayson Allen than the college game.  Playing with Wendell Carter and Marvin Bagley he played without any space last season.  His best season was the only year the Duke ran a 4 out 1 in  system like most NBA teams.   He is able to play either guard position and can play the pick and roll going either right or left.  He doesn’t have a lot of wiggle to his game so he will not be a productive one on one player, but he will be terrific attacking close out.  He is an elite athlete.  Watching him play the most impressive thing to me was how many 50-50 balls he gets to and wins.  This is a sign of using his elite athleticism as well as an understanding of the game.  He plays very hard which is a skill.  His passing is a bit reckless, but he is strong enough to make one hand passes both left handed and right handed.   He was only an ok shot maker in college.  He has improved his release and it is much quicker, but he needs to make shots at a higher rate.  If he does he will have a very strong NBA career.