The San Antonio Spurs are likely to be drafting in the latter part of the first round as has been the case for many years now. With the Spurs looking like they’ll be picking in a similar spot this year I’ll be taking a look at all the possible draft candidates for the team each week.
This week’s prospect is everyone’s favorite player to hate in Duke’s Grayson Allen. He made headlines last year for his dirty play more so than his stellar basketball performances. While the college basketball season is young and Duke hasn’t really played anyone yet (with the exception of the game against Kansas which will have been played by the time you read this), Allen has data we can go off from last year.
The 6’4”, 200-pound combo guard was playing almost three positions last season with the serious lack of depth the Blue Devils experienced. He did just about everything last year averaging 21.6 points, 1.3 steals, 3.5 assists and 4.6 rebounds as a guard! He’s projected to go in the mid-to-late 20s, so he’s definitely in the range for the Spurs to grab him.
With the potential for some guard losses in the offseason, Allen would be a fantastic grab as he’s ready to play right away as far as understanding the game goes, he won’t need to bulk up and he would be a perfect spot-up shooter for the Spurs. He shot almost 42 percent on triples last season and has started this season shooting about 35 percent from there.
Some weaknesses include: creating space to shoot at the NBA level, defending at a high level, and going left. Allen isn’t particularly explosive and can really only drive in straight lines. That’s fine after a lot of ball movement, but for end of the clock scenarios that is less than ideal. His physical tools aren’t great as he’s got just average height and wingpsan as a 6’4” player, so he doesn’t really contest as well as lankier players. Allen is a crafty player and can get some shots off that would surprise people, but still can’t blow by guys.
Overall, he would be a great pick in the high 20s and would not require too much project time. He would have to be taught how to play defense better, but would be a great offensive player to have as a gunner off the bench.
Photo: Duke Report
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