Jarrett Allen is now an All-Star-caliber player for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but before he reached that level, he was a superb piece for the Nets. The 6’9” center was a fan favorite in Brooklyn, but he was valuable enough to be part of the James Harden mega-deal that sent the former MVP to the Nets.
Despite the sudden ending, Allen has said he loved playing in Brooklyn under head coach Kenny Atkinson. It was an enjoyable time for the Nets, considering it was a young team that competed against the best of the Eastern Conference.
“We just had this vibe about us; we were just going out and playing, having fun. I mean, there’s this clip of us, just shooting threes. Everybody’s dancing on the sideline. We’re having the time of our lives,” Allen said on JJ Redick’s Old Man and the Three show.
Allen loved playing under Coach Atkinson
During Jarrett’s stint in Brooklyn, he played under Atkinson, who had a tremendous impact on his players. The team did not have the star power that contenders possessed, but they believed in themselves while playing a fun brand of basketball led by D’Angelo Russell.
As a late first-round pick, Allen did not expect to contribute from the jump, especially since he was only 19. He was thrust into the starting lineup in January 2018 and never looked back, as Atkinson believed in him in the role.
“I genuinely believe that we were all bought into Kenny and his system. Just trying to make things work with what we had, and it was easy for me at least to do it. Everybody was buying in, having fun, willing to get better for the team we had,” Jarrett said regarding how the locker room felt at that time.
The Nets’ moves changed Allen’s standing within the team
When Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving joined the team, they also wanted DeAndre Jordan to join. The former LA Clipper was handed the starting nod over Jarrett, which the former Texas Longhorn took in stride.
Of course, Allen would get traded a few months later when the opportunity to get Harden popped up. Thankfully for Jarrett, he’s enjoying his time in Cleveland, playing like an All-Star while having a phenomenal set of teammates like Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Darius Garland.
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