Grayson Allen is the definition of a player who is consistently inconsistent. The Bucks knew this, and now the Phoenix Suns are figuring it out too. Most nights, he's just an okay player providing okay production that any league-minimum guy could match.
The Suns needed reliable 3-point shooting and perimeter defense to complement their stars, and that's likely why the Bucks chose him over former draft pick Donte DiVincenzo. Allen provides neither consistently enough to justify his role on a championship contender.
Milwaukee fans tried to warn everyone when Allen left. Don't get seduced by the hot shooting nights. Don't believe he's solved his consistency issues just because he had a good week.
Grayson Allen might have hit his peak for the Phoenix Suns
In his eighth season in the association, Grayson Allen is putting up 16.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game on 37.9 percent shooting from distance. Those are by no means paltry numbers, but they've also been in the same range for years. During his Bucks tenure, there was a hope that he could be something resembling a fringe star-level shooting guard to play with Jrue Holiday, and though he was a fine player for what he was, things just never got to that level.
Contending teams can't afford passengers in their rotation, especially not ones taking up roster spots and minutes that could go to more reliable contributors. Allen's the definition of a player who can be a difference-maker some nights, and a passenger in others: sometimes helpful, never irrelevant, but almost never the reason you win or lose, but certainly capable of hurting you in crucial moments.
Perhaps part of it was that the Duke pedigree created expectations that Allen's NBA career has never met. Allen's impact in college was well-documented, and while he never meaningfully reached those heights in his NBA career, he also managed to stay a solid contributor.
During his Bucks tenure, Allen was in the 92nd percentile in defensive rating, as opponents found themselves scoring -6.5 points per 100 possessions whenever he was on the floor. That number has since dropped to the 14th percentile, and while he certainly has his own limitations, he can't be entirely faulted for a defensive unit that is simply pieces away from being pieces away.
Milwaukee figured that out during their championship window and moved on. Phoenix is figuring it out now while their own championship aspirations slip away. The Grayson Allen problem isn't fixable; it's just who he is at this point. An okay player who occasionally gets hot isn't enough when you're trying to win titles. The Bucks learned that lesson. The Suns are learning it now. The next team that acquires Allen will probably learn it too.
Some players are what they are, and no amount of opportunity or system changes that reality. Thankfully, the Bucks found their own revelation in Ryan Rollins. But Phoenix is running into that truth headfirst. Milwaukee fans remember it all too well.
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