Caris LeVert, Joe Harris and Taurean Prince have a lot on their plate as they prepare for the Disney bubble at the end of July — especially if Spencer Dinwiddie is unable to play.
But with DeAndre Jordan (elected to opt-out after testing positive for COVID-19) and Nic Claxton (left shoulder) both done, Jarrett Allen may be asked to do more than anyone. Not only does he have to perform at a high level, Brooklyn’s 2017 first-round draft pick also has to remain healthy — and the big man told reporters on a Zoom call Thursday he’s well aware of the situation:
There is some pressure. I don’t wanna say, ‘Yeah, I’m the last big standing,’ as bad as that sounds. So, [there] is some pressure for me to be able to stay healthy and to be able to help the team succeed.
Regardless of the lack of bigs and depleted roster — and whatever other challenges the Disney bubble will present — Allen expects he and his teammates to compete each night. Because adversity isn’t something new for him and the rest of Brooklyn’s core:
I think we can accomplish as much as we want. Obviously, we don’t have damn near half of our team. I think we can go out there and do what Brooklyn has been known to do over the years when we’ve been faced with adversity: play our hardest and play with a bunch of grit.