Nets need Jarrett Allen to solve their biggest problem
ORLANDO, Fla. — Despite a solid start to the season, the Nets are getting worn out by stretch big men who can move and shoot and open up the floor.
Tuesday they’ll get a second look at one who torched them for 41 points just four days earlier, when they face the Magic’s Nikola Vucevic.
“They’re eating us up right now,” power forward Trevor Booker said. “We’re living with it right now. But we’ll watch film, and see how we can adjust.”
Frankly, film isn’t likely to make starting center Timofey Mozgov any faster or more mobile. His strength is, well, his strength. And Tyler Zeller was inactive for the first game, and, although healthy, didn’t play in the next two. What the Nets need is a big man mobile enough to get out to the perimeter and possibly even slow a guard on a switch if need be.
What the Nets need is more Jarrett Allen.
After not playing in the season-opening loss at Indiana, Allen has 13 points, six rebounds and five blocks in just 29 minutes over the past two games — both victories.
“Just go out there and be the energy guy. All I want to do is run around, block shots and get some dunks,” Allen said with a grin. “That’s my role right now, and if I can stick to that, we have a good chance of winning.”
Allen’s 14.5 minutes per game are a team-low, but his cameos played a big part in those wins. Coach Kenny Atkinson has acknowledged that the 19-year-old rookie may have to play more against stretch bigs.
“I think there’s two things: [Allen’s] got the rim protection and I really think — and this is rare for a 7-foot guy — he can switch onto smalls. He’s done it a couple times already,” Atkinson said. “I’m not going to give it away, but I do think you’ll see that.
“You feel comfortable with him out there. Most rim protectors, they rim protect and it’s tough [for them to move]. They’re not really switch guys. He’s got the capability to do both. And offensively he puts pressure on the rim. D’Angelo [Russell] comes off and he’s threat at the rim. That’s an advantage, too.”
In the preseason and season’s early stages, the Nets have been tormented by mobile bigs. They got routed by the 76ers in their preseason finale, helpless as Joel Embiid and Dario Saric combined for 48 points in just 39 minutes.
Then they lost their season opener to the Pacers as Myles Turner had 21 points for a plus-12. And they had to somehow overcome Vucevic’s monstrous performance — 17-of-22 shooting, 6-of-8 from deep — to win their home opener.
But Allen helped curtail Vucevic’s long-range shooting when he matched up against the Orlando big man late in that game, and his four blocks in just 15 minutes against the Hawks on Sunday help buoy his confidence even more.
“Yeah it does. Just anybody having a good game, you’re going to get more confidence. But me being a rookie, seeing that I got four blocked shots, that’s like me playing against Vucevic the last game. Just knowing I can play with him is all a confidence boost,” said Allen. “He’s an amazing on-the-block scorer, so just sticking to our defensive principles and just playing hard, that’s all I can do.”
Allen Crabbe is still on a minutes restriction as he works himself up to full strength. Atkinson said he eventually sees the sweet-shooting wing playing upwards of 30 minutes.
“There’s definitely leeway. I’ve already crossed it. It’s a collaborative with the performance team and coaches of just being intelligent … we’re going to build him up,” Atkinson said. “I see him up in the 30s. That would be ideal. But it depends on the game, how he’s playing and everybody else is playing. But in a perfect world, up in the 30s.”
Crabbe, who averaged 28.5 minutes per game last season with the Trail Blazers, is sixth on the team at 25.0.