Lavoy Allen didn’t get a chance to score points with the Nets’ front office personnel and scouts during a pre-draft workout Monday.
A sprained left ankle kept the Temple power forward on the sidelines as four other players were put through drills by the NBA team’s coaching staff, and that may hurt him.
“It’s definitely a bummer,” Allen said after watching the workout. “I wanted to do any many workouts as I could and perform well at all of them. Just sitting down and watching these guys work out is definitely not a good thing.”
Allen is a player who has pro scouting directors scratching their heads.
At 6-foot-9 and 225 pounds, he has the body to play in the NBA. The fact that he finished his career as the Owls’ all-time leading rebounder (1,147) is another plus. Averaging close to a double-double (10.5 points and 8.5 rebounds) is another positive.
However, there is the one negative that causes Nets general manager Billy King and others some concern: Allen had a habit of disappearing in games.
“He has a lot of skill,” said King, who is good friends with Allen’s college coach, Fran Dunphy. “There are times he didn’t always show it or play 100 percent, but he has all the tools to play at this level. Now it’s up to him how much he wants it.”
Being told that he doesn’t play hard all the time is nothing new to Allen.
“That question always comes up,” Allen said. “People say you dominate the game and other times you don’t. You know, sometimes I don’t dominate the game with numbers, but I do other things. It’s small things, things that help my team win, and winning is the most important thing. So if my other teammates are having a good night offensively, I don’t have to score and I can do other things.”
In hindsight, Allen admits he probably should have been a little more selfish.
“Sometimes I gave up too many shots,” he said. “I can’t take it back now.”
Allen said his goal in the pre-draft workout is to show teams that he can run the floor, rebound, play defense and do the other little things that mean so much for a team looking for depth.
“Some many of the teams that I have worked out for aren’t looking for a scorer,” Allen said. “That already have guys on the team that can score. Sometimes coming out of college being a 25-point scorer isn’t that important.”
Allen sprained his left ankle Saturday working out for the Philadelphia 76ers. He had another workout scheduled with the Knicks on Wednesday, but he does not think he will be able to participate.
His goal is to work out for the Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Lakers next week in preparation for June 23 draft.
“Coming into this whole workout thing, they were talking about me being as a late second-round pick or going undrafted,” Allen said. “There is a good possibility I won’t get drafted at all. Right now, I am just playing for a position in the draft. I want to get as high as I can. I really don’t care. I just want to be drafted.”
Guards Chaisson Allen of Northeastern and Eniel Polynice of Seton Hall, center Sean Kowal of Northern Illinois and power forward Jamel McLean of Xavier worked out for the Nets.
Polynice, who only started seven games for the Pirates, was a late addition after Allen and Baylor shooting guard LaceDarius Dunn were unable to play because of ankle injuries.
“They’re just giving me a shot to prove myself,” said Polynice, who averaged 3.7 points in 31 games.
The workout was the first one for Polynice, who said he was limited all season by a high ankle sprain before the start of the season.
King likes to give local players a chance.
“There are always kids who didn’t play well or get a lot of minutes, didn’t showcase themselves,” King said. “Maybe you bring them into a training camp and they shine. Just because a guy didn’t have ultimate success at college doesn’t mean he can’t have it at this level.”