According to multiple reports, Longhorns freshman Jarrett Allen will leave the 40 acres for the chance to play at the highest level of basketball and has decided to declare for the 2017 NBA Draft without hiring an agent. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of Allen’s decisions.
Cons:
Jarrett Allen is not ready for the NBA. Even if Allen were to be drafted with a first round pick he would be a project for the team he ends up on. Allen showed his upside in his first season as a Longhorn, but was mostly inconsistent. Allen’s motor is not always running high and his frame still has plenty of room to fill out. Given his skills and physical tools Allen should also be a better rebounder. Rebounding is a hard skill to develop at higher levels. Some experts project Allen to be drafted some time in the middle of the first round. This could mean that Allen goes to a team that expects him to play significant minutes for a playoff team. If he does not play well in the rotation minutes typically reserved for first round picks then Allen will likely need to head to the NBA Gatorade League.
Pros:
Obviously, Allen will be drafted. Most likely in the first round. Allen has above average size, length and athletic ability. There is no better place for Allen to stand out than the NBA combine. His current pre-combine numbers have Allen listed at 6’11” with a near 7’6” wingspan and based off of game film you can expect Allen to record strong empirical data in movement drills such as lane agility and vertical jump. To go along with Allen’s strong upside and the lack of other big men projected to go ahead of him it is more likely than not that an NBA general manager in need of rim protection will fall in love with Allen at the combine, especially in the modern day NBA when even centers are expected to be able to switch on all screens.
Another pro also plays into the worst case scenario for Allen. In the event Allen has a bad NBA combine performance he elected to not hire an agent, which allows him the option to return to the Longhorn basketball team if he so chooses, so long as he makes the decision before the June 12th deadline.
The verdict:
The pros outweigh the cons. Jarrett Allen’s freshman season was expected to be his only season at Texas. If Allen were only a little more consistent and the Longhorns as a team had a better season he would be a lock to be a lottery pick. However, with how things played out, Allen makes the wise and cautious decision to “test the waters” so-to-speak and if Allen does not like his standings in the usually accurate mock drafts he can go back to college and attempt to improve his stock for the 2018 draft.
For more in-depth information on Jarrett Allen, check out his DraftExpress profile:
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Jarrett-Allen-83262/