After Monday night’s win against Atlanta, the buzz around the Brooklyn Nets is centered on rookie Jarrett Allen, and second-year swingman Caris LeVert – rightfully so.
Alright folks, this thing may happen sooner than we expected for the Brooklyn Nets.
After receiving inconsistent minutes out of the gate, Jarrett Allen has fully emerged as one of the Nets top weapons with the team sitting at 9-14 through 23 games. The Nets have been in dire need of a versatile big man. Recently, Allen is filling the role exceptionally well. His ability to block and alter shots has given the Nets newfound opportunities on the fastbreak. His incredible 7’6″ wingspan allows him to finish WAY above the rim.
In Allen’s last two games, both against Atlanta, the 19-year-old finished with 12 points and 6 rebounds on Saturday. He had 11 points, 4 blocks and 4 dunks in Monday night’s contest. It’s worth noting the Hawks are experiencing several frontcourt injuries and were undermanned in both games. Regardless, the former Texas Longhorn has supplanted himself as the Nets top big man, and should be a staple in the rotation moving forward.
In addition to his incredible defensive instincts and length, Allen has displayed a vast improvement offensively. Coming out of the draft, Kenny Atkinson and Sean Marks both pointed out his unusually rapid development in his lone year at Texas. As a fan, those are comments that excite you. However, Allen’s performance of late has done more than excite the fan base, but his energy has lifted the spirits of the entire roster as well – he effects the game in so many ways on the floor.
In regard to his development, Allen is shooting 71 percent (15-21) from the charity stripe this season. Last season at Texas, Allen converted on only 56 percent (84-149) of his attempts. That’s improvement, big time.
Allen even drilled a corner three in last night’s game with 12 seconds on the shot clock, making him 1-2 on the season. Last season at Texas, the big man did not convert on any of his tries from deep, going 0-7. Again, that’s improvement.
Take a look at his dunk tape from last night. Really fun watch.
In regards to LeVert, the second-year Michigan product has been absolutely outstanding since D’Angelo Russell went down with an injury. In the 10 games Russell has missed, LeVert has seen a considerable amount of time at the point, and the results have been favorable. At 6’6″, with a 7-foot wingspan, LeVert is beginning to learn how to use his length and athleticism to find ways to pick apart opposing defenses and create opportunities for himself on defense.
Here’s how LeVert has fared in those ten games. He only started in one of the ten contests.
| MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | FG% | 3P% |
| 25.2 | 11.9 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 1.4 | 47.5% | 38% |
After last night’s victory, Atkinson praised LeVert for filling the role.
"“With Jeremy (Lin) and D’Angelo (Russell) out, he’s our defacto second-unit point guard – I think we’ve seen his game grow since he’s taken that role.” – Kenny Atkinson"
Last night, we received a glimpse into the future. Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen, the two most recent Brooklyn Nets first-round draft picks, began to pick apart the Atlanta defense like swiss cheese in the third quarter. The two connected on three separate occasions, all ending in Jarrett Allen slams. These easy baskets are crucial for a Brooklyn team that’s very reliant on the three-point shot.
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The more time these two play together, the better. LeVert is becoming more and more comfortable with the ball in his hands with each game. His ability to shield defenders and calmly drive to the basket has given the Nets offense a boost. LeVert has also shown tremendous improvement and confidence in his floater/pull-up game, which has been vital to his recent run of success. When you add in Jarrett Allen on the rolling end of many of these opportunities, you have something there. Remember, LeVert is 23, Allen is 19.
Last night was encouraging to say the least, and while it won’t always be as pretty, the Nets have to be full of excitement after watching two of their franchise cornerstones perform exceptionally well as a result of the other’s efforts. The future is bright in Brooklyn, but still, remain patient.