Brooklyn Nets: 4 Role Players That Will Be Crucial in Orlando
By Colin Braun
Jarrett Allen
Before the 2019-20 regular season was cut short, Jarrett Allen had been moved to the bench in favor of DeAndre Jordan. In the Nets’ final two games, Jordan had been getting close to ten more minutes than Allen, and although this is a small sample size, one has to wonder who will be the starting center in just a few weeks’ time.
Regardless of if Allen starts or not, in order for Brooklyn to be successful he must be a contributor, especially at the defensive end.
While he sometimes may lack focus or motivation on defense, Allen has the potential to be an absolutely elite rim protector, and at some point be comparable to Rudy Gobert or Anthony Davis when it comes to shot-blocking.
When Allen is engaged and making highlight-level blocks, the Nets defense takes on an entirely different form. Taking into account the level of big men talent in the Eastern conference (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, etc.), Allen must step up to the task to stop these potent offenses in their tracks.
If the Nets want to make some noise, Allen must be a brick wall in front of the rim and dissuade offensive threats from attacking the paint.