Part I of a new series analyzing the Brooklyn Nets.
When the coronavirus pandemic suspended the NBA season, it was still a little unclear exactly what Jarrett Allen is, and what he will become.
Long-term center or deposed starter?
Foundation piece or trade chip?
Homegrown Net or casualty of Brooklyn’s new order?
With COVID-19, these are confusing times for everybody. But Allen’s status with the Nets is more up in the air than it has been in years. First he lost his form, then one of his biggest backers when the Nets parted ways with coach Kenny Atkinson.
Then he lost his starting job, replaced by DeAndre Jordan. And with the latter seen as a package deal with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, it begs the question of whether that leaves Allen as a valuable reserve next season — or as a valuable trade chip.
When the Nets parted ways with Atkinson on March 7, among speculation about the reasons why was Atkinson’s insistence on starting Allen over Jordan.
Allen’s form dipped, a team-worst minus-49 over the last eight games. Atkinson eventually cut his playing time, and — at his final game as Nets coach — spoke with The Post about the idea of giving Durant minutes as a small-ball center next season.
“No problem. If he’s going against a big strong guy, [maybe not]; but then you have to come out and guard him,” Atkinson told The Post. “Teams are realizing. You just have to understand that advantage.”
Atkinson won’t get that chance, replaced by assistant Jacque Vaughn. And Vaughn’s first personnel decision as interim coach was to replace Allen in the lineup with Jordan, a decade older but not only in better form but also close with Durant and Irving.
The Nets only played two games with Vaughn in charge before the coronavirus pandemic suspended the season. They won both with Allen coming off the bench.
They beat Chicago with Allen a minus-7 in 19 minutes off the bench, and Jordan a plus-12. Then they earned an impressive win in Los Angeles against the Lakers with Allen mustering just three points — his second-lowest outing of the season — while Jordan ripped down 12 rebounds.
Vaughn framed it as a tactical move to shore up the first-unit defense and get a quick floor-running second unit, adding, “it gave both those guys a drive to give us their best.”
Admittedly, keeping Allen driven has been a thing for the Nets. Even Spencer Dinwiddie said a dialed-in Allen is “totally different. … When he comes with that aggressiveness, he shows [top 5] type of talent.”
But make no mistake, Vaughn is an interim who wants the job full-time. The best way to do that is by finding the starting five that best accentuates Durant and Irving, basketball-wise and chemistry-wise.
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If 6-foot-11 rookie Nic Claxton develops as expected, and Durant sees time as a rim-protecting stretch five — his 1.8 blocks in 2017-18 far exceed Allen’s career-high — it could leave either Jordan or Allen superfluous. And it strains credulity to think Jordan is going anywhere.
Yes, the Nets picked up Allen’s option for next season on Oct. 14 and they reportedly turned down an offer for him that would’ve netted Clint Capela. But they may look to add a third star this summer. With Irving and Caris LeVert’s health history, dealing Dinwiddie may be more risky than cashing in on Allen.
Jarrett Allen
Position: Center
Height: 6-foot-11
Age: 21
Contract status: Finishing third year of four-year, $10 million rookie deal
2019-20 stats: 10.6 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 64.6 field-goal percentage