The Utah Jazz have had numerous draft prospects this summer come in for workouts, but no other name that has visited Zions Bank Basketball Campus has more people divided than Duke’s Grayson Allen. During his four years in college he played with an edge that sometimes got out of control, leading him to be suspended three times. This concerns some scouts that he can’t control his emotions, but others love it the same way they love the edge Draymond Green plays with. Allen is the newer version of Christian Laettner or J.J. Redick, the most hated player in college basketball. To truly evaluate him, one needs to move aside all the preconceived ideas and find out who he really is.

Allen doesn’t concern scouts like most college seniors do; four-year college players don’t dominate the sport until they are two to three years older than their peers. Allen played OK his freshman year, though he didn’t getting a lot of playing time (10 minutes a game), but during his sophomore season he exploded onto the scene, averaging 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

If Allen would have come out after that season, he was projected as a mid-first-round pick. The next two years, Allen’s draft stock sank due to his playing not being as strong. Each year, Allen was asked to do different things with different highly recruited freshmen. Also, the more tape a scout has on a player, the easier it is to pick apart his weaknesses.

Despite having a lazy scouting label as a good-shooting player who isn’t very athletic and will struggle defensively, he tested well at the NBA Combine. He measured at 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-7 wingspan and 8-foot-1 standing reach. He weighed 198 pounds with 5.55 percent body fat. What really stood out was how well he performed in the on-court drills and athletic testing. He posted 10.31 seconds in the lane agility test. Jonathan Givony of ESPN noted, “It's one of the five-best times in the Combine database history. Allen also had a 40½-inch vertical leap, tying him for fifth place among all prospects.” The notion that he isn’t an NBA-level athlete isn’t true.

Offensively, Allen is a good shooter, averaging 38 percent from three and is an 85 percent free-throw shooter, which is a better indicator of 3-point success in the NBA. In the Ringers’ NBA Draft Guide, Kevin O’Conner said, “Dead-eye spot-up shooter with NBA range and the ability to hit tough, contested shots. Possesses excellent footwork, a quick release, and the ability to manipulate defenders using screens to get open. Aggressive attacking closeouts; mixes in hesitations and uses both hands to finish at the rim.”

Allen isn’t just a shooter. He has a high basketball IQ and is able to make plays for others. O’Conner also stated, “Solid passing vision and accuracy; improved as a distributor and ball handler over his four years at Duke, especially in the pick-and-roll.” Offensively, Allen is everything one would want in a rotation player.

Defensively, he is average. He works hard to defend but is a little flat-footed and lacks some lateral movement, though in a team setting he should be able to hold on that side of the court. Another concern is his first step isn’t elite, but he is able to attack close-outs and run a pick-and-roll. Basically he isn’t a go-to scorer or a lock-down defender but has the potential to be a great role player.

If the Jazz draft Allen, they will need to feel comfortable that he can control his emotions on the court. Playing with that edge is a good thing, but hopefully with growing up and a little more coaching he will be able to play within himself. After Allen’s workout with the Jazz, Walt Perrin said, “He really didn't have any (incidents) this year, so you hope that's maturity on his part … but you also like that edge that he has.”

KSL’s Andy Larsen wrote a piece on Allen after the workout and said, “It sure seemed like Allen impressed the assembled Jazz staff that watched Monday's workout. When asked what the coaches saw from Allen, Perrin was all positive: ‘They talked about his shooting, they talked about his explosiveness. They talked about that he's strong enough, he can take a hit and still get the shot off. That's what they saw.' " Larsen also noted that Allen was the best athlete during the workout.

Allen is kind of like Jazz great Jeff Hornacek. They are about the same size, good shooters, average defenders who work hard, and better athletes than given credit for. Allen, like Hornacek, is a more natural shooting guard, but both are able to play point guard if needed due to a high basketball IQ. Having multiple players who can handle the ball will only help in today’s game. Don’t expect Allen to become Hornacek but a discounted version of him, which wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.

Getting a solid rotation player with the 21st pick in the draft would be a success since 50 percent of all players drafted after pick 11 don’t even make it in the NBA. The Jazz could shoot for the stars, which is when most of these picks bust. Drafting Allen would be a safe and smart pick.