Grayson Allen might have gotten away with flagrant shenanigans while playing for Duke, but he's not getting away with them while playing ... in the NBA Summer League.
Dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies this summer as part of the Utah Jazz trade for Mike Conley, the former first-round draft pick had an opportunity to solidify a good impression with his new organization in a Thursday night bout with the Boston Celtics. Instead, he found a way to commit two flagrant fouls in a span of eight seconds and earn the prestigious honor of Summer League ejection.
Allen had a relatively quiet rookie season with the Jazz, averaging 5.6 points in 38 games after going 21st overall in the 2018 draft. But his antics against Boston rookie Grant Williams on Thursday, including a literal punch to the head on what appeared to be retaliation for Celtics screens disguised as a block attempt, were reminiscent of his controversial days with the Blue Devils.
A repeat target of criticism by the broadcast team, which deemed him "sneaky" and his behavior "absurd," Allen was infamous for extracurricular activity, particularly tripping, over the course of his college career. The former third-team All-American was once suspended and stripped of his duties as team captain by longtime Duke coach Mike Kryzewski for three different tripping incidents. He also received various flagrant fouls for "hip checking," exchanging elbows and yelling at referees.
As Deadspin noted, Thursday night's incident wasn't even Allen's first Summer League scuffle. As a rookie, he unloaded an aggressive defensive move on the Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young before the start of the 2018-19 season.
