Grayson Allen’s game against Trae Young and the Hawks was eventful, to say the least.
With a match-up of rookie point guards, many people were wondering where the final game of the Utah Jazz Summer League on NBATV would take us. After a dunk show in warm-ups by Allen, fans were even more excited. Let’s dive into the perspective of former Duke senior Grayson Allen.
*To read my take on Trae Young’s performance, click here.
Matching up with Young
Allen guarded Trae Young to start the game, and he held his own. Offensively, he kept getting down the court and to the line. He shot eight free throws in the game. His effort was apparent, fighting for loose balls and rebounds and pushing the tempo. In terms of Allen vs. Young, Allen simply outperformed his Oklahoma opponent.
Tripping
Fans’ heads poked up after Allen was called for tripping a player. Any college fan will remember his history of tripping opponents at Duke. After watching the replay, I honestly didn’t see much. It seemed as if there was not much Allen could do to avoid the player. I understand the call, but this was not a dirty play in my opinion. Duke and Utah fans can still put the tripping tendencies out of their mind.
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Scuffle with Young
Things got chippy early in the second half between the rookie guards. After they got tangled up, Young shoved Allen’s shoulder towards the ground. Allen retaliated by pushing his shoulder through Young on his way to stand up. They were immediately separated and stopped guarding each other for a few minutes. After the scuffle, Allen performed better. he got more aggressive and made some smart plays on offense. He defended the perimeter well and got a couple of blocks (one on Young). He also managed to draw a charge near the end of the game.
Decision-making
The brightest sight in Allen’s game was his decision-making abilities. He got his teammates involved without dominating the ball. There were many times where he gave up a good shot to make an amazing assist. His court vision will help him in the NBA, and his tempo will pair well with Donovan Mitchell. We’ve seen their chemistry since Allen’s draft-day interview. The Jazz will have plenty of guards, but Allen can grow into a possible Tandem with Mitchell as they both mature into veterans. He can score on his own and set up his teammates with ease. When you have as amazing a talent as Mitchell, you need an efficient guard paired with him. It’s too early to tell how Allen will handle the NBA, but he has shown his potential in Utah this summer.
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Recap
Allen led Utah to a 92-87 victory over Atlanta with nine points, six rebounds, eight assists, and three steals. This game wraps up the Utah Jazz Summer League, but both teams will compete in the Las Vegas League as well. Allen will continue to get better, and he should be ready to contribute this season for the Utah Jazz.