GUILT TRIP
Duke hands Allen ‘indefinite’ suspension, but what will it mean?
Finally, Duke came down on Grayson Allen for his serial tripping incidents, handing him an “indefinite” suspension Thursday after he tripped an opponent a night earlier for the third time since last season. Mike Krzyzewski said Allen will only return to action when “I feel good about the entire situation and where he is at.”
In a victory over Elon on Wednesday night, Allen was guarding Steven Santa Ana, and stuck out his right leg and knocked his opponent to the floor after Santa Ana drove past him on the baseline. Allen was emotional on the bench after being assessed a technical foul, but returned to the game in the second half.
After the game, a combative Krzyzewski, while describing the play as “unacceptable and inexcusable,” defended how Duke has handled the situation, without much of a public punishment. A day later, however, the Blue Devils decided on a suspension, Krzyzewski saying after reviewing the video he decided the program needed to take “further steps” to rein in Allen.
Below is a look at what the suspension means from multiple perspectives: What does it mean for Allen?
It certainly doesn’t help his NBA draft stock. Considered a borderline first-round talent — DraftExpress. com has him going 27th overall — as a 6-foot-4 combo guard, teams could shy away from him because of the obvious character issues. Former Nets guard Jarrett Jack tweeted Wednesday night: “He gon get his ass kicked in the league doing that.” If Allen was a top10 talent, it likely wouldn’t matter. But it could tip the scales against him, if a team is choosing between Allen and another prospect without baggage. After all, Allen said before the season he was past such acts, saying he had learned from those mistakes.
Furthermore, it is marring his legacy. Before the trips began, Allen was known for his remarkable performance in the 2015 NCAA Championship game against Wisconsin, helping Duke to the title with a stunning 16-point performance after averaging just 4.4 points during a nondescript regular season. Now, it is merely a footnote. What does it mean for Duke?
The suspension’s timetable is uncertain at the moment. Indefinitely could mean him missing the New Year’s Eve road game and ACC opener at Virginia Tech, the next game on the schedule. Or possibly also winnable games at home against Boston College and Georgia Tech. Odds are, he will be back for the Jan. 10 trip to Tallahassee against No. 21 Florida State. Duke likely will win, at minimum, two of those three games, if not all three.
But what if another tripping incident occurs? This suspension is setting a minimum precedent. And for all the McDonald’s All-Americans Duke has — eight in all — Allen is the one player it needs most, its top playmaker and second-leading scorer. The Blue Devils lack a true point guard; Allen, averaging a team-high 3.5 assists per game, is the closest they have to one. Duke can get by without one of its big men — Coach K’s team is loaded in the paint — but the perimeter is where its depth is challenged.
While sophomore guard Luke Kennard has been one of the sport’s most improved players, averaging 20.4 points per game, the sharpshooter won’t get the same looks without Allen. He will be the focus of opponents on the perimeter. If Allen gets in more trouble and misses more games, it could seriously hurt Duke’s pursuit of a top seed. What does it mean for the ACC?
Duke is vulnerable. The heavy preseason favorite isn’t near as bulletproof as once believed. When Allen returns, there is no question opposing teams will go after him, looking to trigger his short temper. Five-star freshmen big men Marques Bolden (leg) and Harry Giles (knee) have yet to show their full potential after missing so much time due to injury, and perhaps it will take them a while to do so, provided they can remain healthy.
After the win over Elon, Kennard revealed some red flags, telling reporters: “We have to become a group that is all consumed in just Duke, and by saying that, I’m just saying that we have to just buy in. Every guy on our team, inside, they have individual goals, and that’s a great thing to have, but sometimes those individual goals may tend to sneak up and kind of take over what it’s really all about, and that’s about winning as a group.”
He also said: “I just don’t think we’re a very unselfish team right now. And that’s both offensively and defensively.”
That sounds like certain individuals playing for the NBA, not the team, the risk of bringing in one-and-done freshmen like Duke has. Perhaps all this blows over. Maybe Allen returns and is a model citizen. Maybe the freshmen forwards find their legs. But right now, the Blue Devils don’t have the look of the juggernaut many predicted them to be.