Arizona Basketball: Allonzo Trier already among undrafted rookie greats

Allonzo Trier went undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft. The New York Knicks saw potential and are now reaping the benefits.

He was the man people loved and loved to hate. Allonzo Trier’s time in Arizona was a roller coaster of events. Unfortunately, these events may have played a part in Trier going undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft.

The New York Knicks quickly pounced on Trier after the draft concluded, taking a slight risk on the 6-foot-5 SG. They quickly saw the potential Trier had during the 2018 Summer League, and 2018 Pre-Season. Trier was rewarded with a Two-Way Contract and the Knicks are now reaping the benefits.

As a reminder, here is how an NBA Two-Way Contract works:

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"NBA teams may have up to two players under the NBA Two-Way Contracts who will spend the bulk of the season in the NBA G-League and not more than 45 days with their NBA team. Two-Way players are paid a corresponding daily amount based on the number of days they play in each league."

So far Zo has played 21 games in the NBA and zero in the G-League for the Westchester Knicks where former teammate Kadeem Allen is taking care of business. After a very impressive start to the season, Trier is looking like a true NBA contract player. From highlight reel dunks to Knicks social media plugging him in their posts, it’s only a matter of time. And the numbers don’t lie. Trier needs to get paid.

Currently, Trier is averaging 11.4 PPG, 2.9 RBP, and 1.6 APG while playing on average 23.7 minutes per game. He’s also shooting 49.1% from the field and an impressive 45.9% from deep.

Out of the 21 regular season Knicks games played, Trier has scored in double figures 12 times. He has also scored 20 or more points in four games. Among rookies, only Luka Doncic and Trae Young have more 20+ point games….and they were top-5 picks.

His latest outing was one of his best. On Tuesday night, in a loss to the Pistons against former Wildcat Stanley Johnson who won Player of the Game honors, Zo posted his first double-double of his NBA career. He finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. “Iso Zo” is how New York Knicks fans know him, and they sure are loving what they’re seeing out of the undrafted rookie. It seems this game was dominated by Arizona Wildcats.

There’s no question that Zo was made for the NBA. His nickname is “Iso Zo” and the NBA game allows for a lot more isolation plays. His critics say he’s selfish, a ball-hog and someone who can’t play defense. These were all things people said about him during his three years in Arizona.

Sure, in a few games Trier would get tunnel vision and try to force the hand. In college it’s much harder to do with teams playing more zone, doubling, trapping, and overall playing better team defense. But in the NBA, players are given much more room to go to work.

And in terms of not playing defense? Well, those numbers don’t lie either. On the season Trier has 10 blocks, with a high of three in one game against the Orlando Magic. He has had several chase down blocks end up in-game highlights as well.

In his first game career NBA game, Trier became the first Undrafted Rookie to score 15 points in their début since 2004. A few games later Trier became the first New York Knicks player to come off the bench and score 25 points, grab eight rebounds, and shoot 75% from the field, since 1992.

The game, which was a win against the Pelicans, also had another impressive stat for Trier. He’s just the fourth Undrafted player in league history to tally at least 25/8/4 in a single game.

Trier is truly among NBA and New York Knicks royalty when looking at the numbers. Tommy Beer, via Forbes, pointed out his unique status among great names.

Remarkably, according to Basketball-Reference, Trier is the just the third rookie in Knicks franchise history with at least 225 points, 50 rebounds, and 30 assists through the first 20 games of his debut season. Patrick Ewing and Mark Jackson are the other two Knickerbockers to accomplish this feat. Both Ewing and Jackson would go to win the Rookie of the Year award.

In addition, Trier is just the second undrafted rookie in NBA history with 225-plus points, 50 boards, and 30 dimes through the first 20 games of his debut campaign.

Those numbers are not something to shove aside. Patrick Ewing and Mark Jackson are household names for New York Knicks fans. Not only that, they are two NBA greats. To be mentioned in the same sentence with the likes of Ewing and Jackson means you’re doing something extremely impressive.

The season is still young, but when looking at the numbers, and where Trier ranks in NBA history, you can’t help but ask; Is Allonzo Trier one the best Undrafted Rookies in NBA history?

Again, the season is young, and many things can change from here on out. But you can’t ignore what Trier has done. He’s had stereotypical games of an undrafted rookie, which is expected, but the positives outweigh the negatives right now.

So with all of this, and looking at how he’s almost played more than half of the allowed 45 games in the NBA, it’s safe to say this man needs to be paid. He has shut up all his critics and rightfully so. He’s among the many former Wildcats who are making an impact in the league today, and we should be looking forward to how his NBA career turns out.