Allen living out a dream in the NBA

Penn alum is notPenn alum is notsoured by injury Jerome Allen squints to adjust his eyes to the illumination before returning to his spot on the Timberwolves' bench as the Spectrum's lights turn back on after having darkened for player introductions. Tonight, as his teammates take on the Philadelphia 76ers, his uniform consists of tan slacks and a cardigan sweater-vest, the prescribed garb for a player lingering on Minnesota's injured list with an ailing knee. Although this game is in Philadelphia, Allen's hometown, there is not much that differentiates it from the almost 60 games that had preceded this one. Getting into the city after 2 a.m. Wednesday morning -- just the third time he's been in Philly since the season began -- Allen only got a few hours to spend with family and friends yesterday. Of course, after the game ends, it's right back on the plane to the next NBA destination. Such is life during the rookie season of the highest-paid Wharton graduate of the class of 1995. While traveling from city to city almost every night has been tiring, Allen would not have it any other way. "What else could I ask for?" Allen asked. "I'm living my dream." It's a dream which he has been living since November 3, when he first stepped foot onto a basketball court in an NBA uniform. For the two-time Ivy League Player of the Year, reaching the highest of basketball plateaus represents the fulfillment of lifelong quest. But the achievement has not come without its share of tumult, as playing for a 19-40 ball club can. Since the beginning of the season, Allen -- who is averaging 3.1 points and 1.4 assists per game -- has stood witness to the revolving door of NBA life, watching numerous players come and go. Most significantly though, he's weathered the firing of coach Bill Blair, a move Allen dismisses as part of the "business side" of sports. Since Blair's replacement Phil "Flip" Saunders has taken over, Allen has seen his playing time of nearly 15 minutes a game cut in half. Saunders has attempted to convert Allen, a natural shooting guard, to the point. "Jerome came into the league as a forward or two guard, and now he's had to adjust to playing point guard," Saunders said. "He's going through the process of what it's like to be an NBA guard, learning what it takes to lead a team and doing what's necessary to be a leader." Although he enjoyed higher on-court productivity prior to Saunders's ascendency to the helm, Allen embraces the challenge of cultivating his game. "[This season] has been rough. It's had its ups and downs," Allen said. "But I've got to make sure to keep improving, not just as a player, but as a person. You never want to regress. I want to become the best player I can. "Sometimes it's easy to forget you're among the elite, playing against the best players in the world. This game is so demanding, between practices and games, you really never have a day off." Allen's dedication to improvement began the day he signed with the Timberwolves after being picked 49th in the NBA draft. The Timberwolves were surprised they could snap him up so late in the second round. "We didn't think he'd be available at that point [in the draft], so we felt good about him being there," Saunders said. "Teams look for their first rounders to make an immediate impact, and people didn't see that from Jerome at the small forward spot which probably caused his stock to slip." Ironically, Allen -- the first Ivy Leaguer to be drafted since Dartmouth's Walter Palmer in 1990 -- was picked by Minnesota in the round after the Timberwolves selected 19-year-old Kevin Garnett out of Farragut Academy High School in Chicago. The hoopla surrounding Garnett's entry into the league has helped Allen slip almost unnoticed into the pro ranks, making the adjustment that much easier. More importantly, Allen attributes his ability to adapt to the NBA to the coaches who have molded him along the way, namely Fran Dunphy and the Penn coaching staff. Despite the excellent preparation he received during his four years as a Quaker, Allen knows only hard work and perseverance will help him complete the transition. Saunders is relying on this realization to drive Allen to work hard over the summer and help him blossom into the team's floor general of the future. "We look for Jerome to be a good young point guard in this league," Saunders said. "Obviously we think he has a bright future with the Timberwolves. That the team will guarantee his contract through the end of the season I think shows a commitment to his future with us." Earlier this season -- and prior to the date when teams were obliged pay released players through the end of the season -- rumors swirled on Philadelphia sports-talk radio that Allen might be sent packing by the Timberwolves and picked up by the Sixers. But the innuendoes have since faded. For the rest of the season, Allen can concentrate on molding himself into an NBA force, helping to further advance his professional basketball career down a path which has lead him from mere dream to reality.

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