NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 03: Jarrett Allen #31 of the Brooklyn Nets shoots during the second ... [+]
Getty ImagesOn Tuesday night, Brooklyn Nets rookie coach Steve Nash finally started Jarrett Allen over DeAndre Jordan for the first time this season.
The change was long overdue — part of a series of terrific adjustments by Nash and the rest of his staff — and should remain permanent.
Allen responded with the best game of his career, outplaying nemesis Rudy Gobert and posting 19 points, 18 rebounds, three steals and two blocks in Brooklyn's surprising 130-96 blowout victory over the Utah Jazz at Barclays Center.
Allen, 22, is the best center on the team. But locker-room politics pushed him out of the starting five last season. You see, Jordan, 32, is a close friend of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The trio came to Brooklyn as part of a package deal of sorts. Before the start of free agency, their agents spoke, trying to figure out how to accommodate all three financially. In the end, Durant and Irving took max deals that included bonuses — as part of some nimble salary-cap gymnastics by Sean Marks and his front-office number crunchers — to allow Jordan to get four years, $40 million.
At one point in 2019-20 — when locker-room access for reporters still existed and the pandemic didn't — Irving gave up his prime corner spot, closest to the area off-limits to the media, to move into a middle spot, next to Jordan.
Kenny Atkinson struggled mightily with his decision to give Allen the nod over Jordan in 2019-20. Jordan, a starter throughout his career, was upset about coming off the bench. Atkinson was ultimately fired. The day after his ouster, interim coach Jacque Vaughn moved Jordan back into the starting five. You didn't need sources to confirm what was going on, even though they did.
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Allen reclaimed the starting center job in the bubble, as a result of Jordan getting COVID-19 and ultimately not making the trip to Orlando. Allen played well, but it didn't matter. The Nash Era began with Jordan in the starting five, and Allen coming off the bench.
Allen also had to deal with his name being involved in trade talks for James Harden, who has wanted to come to Brooklyn and team up with Durant and Irving. And he wasn't able to get a contract extension with the Nets by Dec. 21, and will be a restricted free agent at season's end as a result. But if he keeps playing like this, Allen could end up with $100 million come the offseason.
Allen has been playing more than Jordan — who played just 15 minutes on Sunday and then picked up four fouls in his first four minutes on Tuesday — of late. But he wasn't the starter. The prevailing thought is it’s not about who starts, but who finishes. Still, that’s not the way many players think. In Allen’s case, despite everything, he’s been a pro about the situation, preferring to put his head down and perform when called on.
After a 1-4 stretch, and with Durant sidelined, Nash decided to insert Allen into the starting five with Irving, Bruce Brown, Taurean Prince and Jeff Green. The adjustments worked wonders, with Irving rising to the occasion and performing like a superstar, scoring 18 of his 29 points in the first quarter.
The last time Allen matched up against Gobert — a two-time Defensive Player of the Year who has recently drawn the ire of Shaq — he was outscored, 22-8, and outrebounded, 18-2. But this time, it was Allen winning the scoring battle, 19-10, and the rebounding battle, 18-11. Both of Allen's rejections came versus Gobert, who just signed a five-year, $205 million extension with Utah.
Sporting his signature massive afro, Allen credited his teammates for his performance in an interview with the YES Network. He may be a quiet computer-gamer, but Allen was a force on the court Tuesday. The youngster deserves to stay in the starting five — for good. Politics be damned.
The Link LonkJanuary 06, 2021 at 06:00PM
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemazzeo/2021/01/06/forget-politics-brooklyn-nets-should-keep-starting-jarrett-allen-at-center/
Forget Politics: Brooklyn Nets Should Keep Starting Jarrett Allen At Center - Forbes
https://news.google.com/search?q=forget&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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