Jarrett Allen is one of the NBA’s top rebounders and he could force Nets coach Steve Nash to consider a change in his starting lineup, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Allen is only playing 22.6 minutes per night off the bench, but he’s leading the league in offensive rebounds, offensive rebound percentage, and total rebound percentage.
Nash has been using DeAndre Jordan as his starting center, but the 32-year-old hasn’t been impressive. Lewis notes that Jordan’s plus-minus rating has declined in each game this season, hitting minus-8 on Wednesday as he managed just five points and one rebound against the Hawks.
“That’s a good debate. It’s a small sample, one, and I’m not sure if plus-minus is the best barometer,” Nash said. “But that was a tough matchup for DJ. Those guys are good, dynamic rollers, (Clint) Capela, but even more so (John) Collins’ speed is exceptional getting out of the screen and it poses a unique problem.”
There’s more from New York City:
- The Nets are still adjusting to life without Spencer Dinwiddie, who may be lost for the season with a partially torn ACL, Lewis adds in a separate story. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot replaced Dinwiddie in the starting lineup Wednesday, but that new unit had never practiced together. They wound up with a minus-10 in 13 minutes. “It’s a big loss because of (Dinwiddie’s) versatility, skill set, size, speed, defensive ability. We’ll miss him dearly,” Nash said. “We’re going to see a lot of different lineups, different combinations.”
- The Knicks should be getting a couple of injured guards back soon, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Immanuel Quickley, who’s been dealing with a sore left hip, could return Saturday or Monday. Dennis Smith Jr., who has a left quad issue, will rejoin the team during its road trip but will have to work on conditioning before being cleared to practice.
- Austin Rivers, who played his first game with the Knicks Thursday night, posted an Instagram message afterward asking fans to be patient, Begley tweets. “Trust us. We’re getting better,” Rivers wrote. “We have a new great coach, all new players, really young, learning to play with each other and get chemistry right still, and we still getting all the way healthy. It’s a process but I promise we getting there step by step.”
I have a feeling Charlotte will overpay for Jarrett Allen. He’s a good young player and they do need a center and Zeller deal comes off the books this year. I like Allen’s game and fits well in Charlotte with Lamelo and Heyward.
Dinwiddie been averaging 5 win shares a year the last 3 years, super huge loss for Brooklyn. They should find a replacement.
Jarrett Allen is going to make the Nets regret not extending him.
As much as the Nets have improved the roster in recent years they have really lost their culture. I thought the Nets were really cool with Russell running the team and LeVert and Allen his sidekicks.
Instead they got Irving and KD and I mean obviously it makes them a better team but they also got DJ just to make these two happy at the expense of Allen. They sacked the coach who did nothing wrong just to make their two stars happy. I think Dinwiddie will leave in the offseason also.
I hope Allen ends up in a good spot that suit him, Charlotte, San Antonio, Boston cause I think he will be very good. I think next season he becomes a 15-13 guy with great defence
That underrates Dinwiddie’s role in making the Nets ‘cool’. Russell and Levert are singular-type players, and Allen never left the paint. Dins is the connector and win-driver, the most important Net, not because of his 3pt%, which is low. Russell is off to a terrible start in MIN, Levert his usual teasing so-so in the end with BRK.
But yes BRK and LAC both parlayed good-culture teams in 18/19, into attracting FA stars that messed with that culture just by being there. Those teams are good now but talent & culture were wasted.
Allen is an elite young talent. There’s zero chance that the Nets will let him walk for nothing on an offer sheet. The Nets are not the Kings, and it would be even more ridiculous to let Allen vs BB walk for nothing. If he’s not with the Nets next year, it will be because they traded him for compensation they deemed appropriate. Extending him prior to the season would, practically, preclude a trade this year. I don’t know if that’s why it wasn’t done; but they certainly have more flexibility having not done it.
They will have the ability to match but I doubt they do. Allen will probably get offers around 15-20mil and the Nets were only going offer him around 12…
plus if they matched a big offer it would send them into paying loads of tax with KD Kyrie Harris LeVert and Allen all being paid big $$
I think trading him makes sense but again can’t see it happening cause no ones going to give up that much. Teams that want Allen are rebuilding and can’t offer much and the Nets are trying to win now so whatever they got in return makes them worse.
If that’s your prediction (that they’ll allow it to get to an offer sheet and then not match, losing him for nothing), then you’re almost certainly wrong. Players of his talent and age (and the upside they reflect) simply don’t move as RFAs on unmatched 15-20 mm offer sheets. Why predict something that has has no predicate?
Your reasoning is also internally inconsistent. Your lead point was that it was a mistake not to extend him, yet you don’t think they should match because there will be too much luxury tax. The two are the same tax-wise (and extending locks them into paying the tax, because a trade is next to impossible). Also, you think he’s getting an offer sheet of 15-20 mm, but also think that nobody will offer much for him under his current contract (under 4 mm, with RFA rights).
The Nets are trying to build a championship team. You don’t do that by giving away assets like this. But you do stay flexible as long as possible. They’re playing it correctly.
The Nets can Dump Jordan for a pick next year. He has played well maybe not at his contract level.He will be a backup by year end. Nash is not blind.
Dump Jordan for… John Collins? I think I heard Nash send a message to Collins. Maybe he was just chatting. He deliberated on the plus/minus statistic (of which there are at least several).