[jwplayer C5wneBws-z6KDnl0B]
By and large, 2019-20 was a step in the right direction for Jarrett Allen.
He set career-highs in points per game (11.1) and rebounds (9.6). He had a team-high 30 double-doubles. Allen blocks per game average was down from 2018-19 (1.5), but he still maintained a presence at the rim (1.3 blocks per game),
He was also part of one of the best lob duos in the league (40) with Spencer Dinwiddie.
Yet, just before the NBA was forced into a hiatus, Allen lost his starting job to DeAndre Jordan.
Given the veteran’s relationship with Brooklyn’s two stars, it seems like he’d have to do a lot wrong in order for Allen to get his old job back.
However, that doesn’t mean Allen can’t be the best big man on the team.
While being a starter is important to so many, bench players play a crucial role in a team’s success. With Jordan and Allen likely to split minutes — with some variance nightly — the young big shouldn’t have to pace himself. He needs to take advantage of every opportunity he gets when he steps on the floor.
And who better to help Allen, especially on the offensive end, than Brooklyn’s new player development assistant, Amar’e Stoudemire?
The Phoenix Suns franchise was an absolute force in a stacked Western Conference when Stoudemire was working the pick-and-roll with now Nets head coach Steve Nash.
With Nash at the helm working with Kyrie Irving and Brooklyn’s other ballhandlers, the chemistry he had with Stoudemire should only help strengthen the relationships the Nets guards further develop with Allen and Jordan. Because the two groups will now hear the same message from two NBA legends.
The addition of Stoudemire should lead to another step in the right direction for Allen. That doesn’t mean fans should expect Allen to turn into an absolute force right away. But if he’s able to put into practice Stoudemire’s tricks of the trade, Allen should become that dominant big so many think he can become with the physical tools he has over the next couple of seasons.