Grayson Allen has perfect reason to sit out remainder of playoffs

There is no doubt that the Phoenix Suns have missed Grayson Allen in their Round 1 series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

His elite 3-point shooting a real asset against the massive Thunder defenders that could have helped space the court for Devin Booker and Jalen Green to operate.

Allen must sit out remainder of playoffs to secure long-term future

But if Allen is smart about his future in the league beyond this season, then he needs to sit out the rest of this series despite making a small comeback in Game 3.

Allen remains one of the Suns’ most obvious and valuable trade assets moving forward, and ensuring he is healthy will be the key to landing one more sizeable contract in the league before he calls it a career.

His most recent injury setback was related to his hamstring, the same issue that had Green miss a ton of time in his first season in Phoenix. Why should Allen rush himself back any quicker than Green was allowed to?

He is obviously a competitor and wants to play, but this Thunder series is done and short of beating Bam Adebayo’s 83 point output from earlier this season there is not a single thing Allen can do to raise his stock both in Phoenix and beyond.

Allen has also struggled with several different injuries and unfortunately has not been available when really needed for the franchise on several occasions. Which is why he shouldn’t force it now for a lost cause.

We just witnessed Donte DiVincenzo tear his Achilles in the playoffs, and his play style is certainly similar to Allen’s. Both are more athletic and better defensively than they get credit for, while their movement off the ball and 3-point shooting are their main asset.

At 29-years-old DiVincenzo is a year younger than Allen, yet we all know it is going to take over a year for him to look like the player he was. That’s if he ever gets back to that level again, although it was nice to see Jayson Tatum offer his support in the wake of the injury.

Allen has two years remaining on his current deal, but staying healthy and contributing are what will ensure he is not dead weight by the time that contract runs out. 

Risking his body against the ridiculously physical Thunder (who also have the friendliest whistle in the league) would not be a smart long-term strategy for all involved.

Suns’ head coach Jordan Ott might be tempted to call upon Allen to try and ensure they don’t exit the postseason as the only team without a win. But this season was already a success, so what is the point?

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