What should we expect from Grayson Allen this season?

Bleacher Report published an article yesterday written by Jonathan Wasserman that listed five rookies who could exceed expectations in 2017-18. Grayson Allen, of the Utah Jazz, was mentioned in this list.

Opportunity is key for rookies, and Grayson Allen should have a good one this season. A 48-win team last year, the Utah Jazz are equipped with veteran talent to surround the No. 21 pick, who should see minutes in the second unit behind Donovan Mitchell.

The Jazz are still going to value Allen’s shot-making first, as he thrives by spotting up and shooting off screens. The 22-year-old guard buried at least 80 threes in three consecutive seasons. But Allen will have something to offer even on off nights, potentially as a secondary playmaker.

Consistency will be tough to expect. He struggled with it throughout college. Regardless, Allen should emerge as a valued reserve in Utah at different points throughout the 2018-19 season. He’ll contribute off the bench in a spark role with his shooting, pick-and-roll passing, athleticism and competitiveness.

Wasserman didn’t really expound on how Allen might exceed expectations, or even clarify what those expectations were for the Jazz rookie. So let’s do it for him.

What can we expect from Grayson Allen this season?

After getting spoiled with the performance of their 13th pick in the draft last season, the Jazz obviously understand that Grayson Allen is no Donovan Mitchell. Let’s be honest, no rookies from this entire class are going to be Donovan Mitchell, at least not by matching his rookie campagin last season. The Jazz selected Grayson Allen with the 21st pick, and as such have a lower ceiling on potential expectations. At that point in the draft, you are lucky if you can draft a consistent, steady, role player that provides value where it is needed for the team. And that is exactly where I believe expectations should sit for Grayson Allen. We can expect him to come off the bench and give solid minutes for Quin Snyder, providing a spark with his play-making ability. We can probably expect him to be a good three-point shooter who knocks down open shots. And frankly, we can probably expect him to get under the skin of opposing players (which I am most excited for). The Jazz weren’t planning on drafting a superstar at the 21st slot in the draft, but they could just get a solid player for years to come in Grayson Allen.

Can Grayson Allen exceed these expectations?

Maybe. It’s possible that he could come in and just play great basketball, being that scorer off the bench that the Jazz need. But is it realistic to think that he will steal minutes from the likes of Jae Crowder or Dante Exum? Probably not. Like Wasserman mentions in his piece, the opportunity is there. The Jazz have a need that can be filled. Whether that need is filled from Allen, or someone else on the roster, remains to be seen.

GUYS... GUYS!!! Donovan Mitchell is back getting buckets. There is nothing so eloquent and beautiful as a Donovan Mitchell swished three-pointer. There just isn’t. Count how many threes he makesin a row in this clip, and then count how many even touch the rim. He makes it look so easy.

Pretty cool little moment yesterday at Derrick Favors’ middle school, where he visited to have his jersey retired.

It’s always awesome seeing players give back. I’ts great to see Favors signing autographs for the kids attending his former school. You can only imagine how these kids look up to Favors and the guy that he is.

In what looks like in-game preview footage of NBA2K18, player ratings for each starting lineup were leaked. The Jazz’s starting lineup was... interesting.

I think they got Mitchell and Gobert pretty close to being right. Rubio, Ingles, and Favors seem maybe a little low, especially taking a look at the ratings from across the league. Take a look for yourself.

The Jazz announced they had parted ways with longtime strength coach Mark McKown, as reported by Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune.

McKown had ties clear back to Karl Malone, and had been with the organization for 21 years.