Grayson Allen Eyes Drake for Call of Duty; Talks Learning from Donovan Mitchell

Message to Drake and Travis Scott: Grayson Allen wants to play video games with you.

"I've seen the videos from the streams with Travis Scott and Drake playing Fortnite with Ninja. I think it would be cool to squad up in Black Ops 4 Blackout mode with Drake, Travis Scott and get a solid group together," the Utah Jazz guard told Bleacher Report in an interview promoting the new Call of Duty game, which is due for a release Oct. 12.

Allen, an avid gamer who began playing Call of Duty regularly with the 2008 release of World at War, said the franchise's realism has drawn him in over other first-person shooters.

"I'm looking forward to the Blackout game mode, the Battle Royale," Allen said. "I love watching all the Fortnite videos, but I haven't been as much of a Fortnite gamer because I like the more realistic games. Call of Duty has that more realistic aspect, so I'm looking forward to that.

"I got the preview this summer, and the gameplay was so good. I like how it got away from the jumping and floating around…I like that it's grounded and realistic—the true first-person shooter experience."

Coming off four illustrious years at Duke, the Jazz selected Allen with the No. 21 overall pick in June's draft. Allen said video games have become part of the bonding experience with new teammates. He named center Tony Bradley and guard Donovan Mitchell as the two Jazz players he knows will join him on the sticks this season.

"Donovan, I've played a bunch of video games with him. He beat me at 2K and FIFA the other day…I need my rematch in FIFA for sure," Allen said.

Mitchell is a big part of the reason the Jazz were drafting all the way back at No. 21 to take Allen. While most experts projected Utah to fall out of the playoffs following the departure of Gordon Hayward, the team did not miss a beat when Mitchell soared to stardom as a rookie. He averaged 20.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists, becoming the fourth 20-point rookie scorer of the last decade.

"It's going to be really exciting. He had an incredible rookie year, beyond a lot of people's expectations," Allen said of sharing a backcourt with Mitchell. "I try to pick his brain as much as possible for what he did his rookie year that worked or didn't work so I can try to replicate that or have some similar success. It will be really cool because we're around the same age, so we get to work and develop as players together."

The Jazz went 48-34 last season and enter the 2018-19 season with high expectations. Utah returns its key players and has a roster full of young guys who should be on their ascent. With the Houston Rockets losing some of their core players, it's possible Utah could even move into the No. 2 slot in the Western Conference if things break right.

Allen said it was too early for him to make any predictions about playing time, but he seemed to acknowledge most of his minutes as a rookie will probably come off the bench.

"It's similar to my freshman year at Duke, where I am a guy on a stacked team and minutes are hard to come by. You have to really earn them. For me, it's finding ways to get on the floor, finding ways to contribute, finding ways to help the team get better.

"Part of me being in college for four years helps me in that. I can understand the game a little bit more than most rookies coming in younger because I had four years of film study in college...I think that can help me play right away. But as far as opportunity goes, we have a lot of really good guys. If I'm not on the floor, I'm making the team better in practice."

Allen, a highly touted recruit, averaged just 9.2 minutes per game during his freshman season at Duke. The Blue Devils won a national championship, however, with Allen playing a starring role in the national title game win over Wisconsin.

"One of the big things I learned my freshman year was not getting ready but staying ready the whole year," Allen said. "That's tough because my freshman year, that was the first time I had ever been on the bench. You don't know if you're going to play 20 minutes, or you're going to play three minutes, or you're not going to play at all.

"As far as your mindset goes, that can kind of mess you up a little bit. You're not sitting on the bench ready to get into the game; you're sitting on the bench wondering, 'Am I going to play?' So you're not always ready. I figured it out toward the end of the year that you stay in games and you stay ready because when you get in there, you can make a big play, you can hit a big shot…you can do something that impacts the game.

"That comes from being secure in your own talent. Where you know just because you're sitting on the bench doesn't mean you have to get frustrated. You can still stay in games. I think that will help me a lot this rookie year, especially if I'm unsure if I'm going to play a ton a game or a little of the game or what."

After spending four years at Duke, an anomaly among first-round picks in the NBA, Allen described the pro life as "easier" than his college days. He raved about the ability to have a day specifically designed around basketball. Whereas Allen said he used to have trouble fitting in homework and projects with his basketball work, he now has a full regimen down designed only to make sure he's the best basketball player possible.

But when asked if he wished he would have left Duke early—he likely would have been a top-25 pick after his freshman or sophomore seasons—Allen said the four-year route made him a better player.

"I think everyone is a little bit different. The way it worked out for me is it helped me a lot. I think I'm more prepared to have a long-lasting career because of the experience I have. I'm not being thrown into the fire in the league; I have a little experience. I got time to round myself out as a player and become a more complete player and be more mature."

His maturity came into question during his time at Duke. He became one of college basketball's most controversial figures, highlighted for his propensity for tripping opponents. An incident during his junior year led to an indefinite suspension, which turned out to be just one game. Allen stayed largely incident-free during his senior year and said he hopes the passion he shows for the game outweighs any negative perception.

"I had a lot of negative headlines my sophomore and junior year, so the casual college basketball fan may have a negative perception of me," Allen said. "I think as people watch me play, the competitiveness I have for the game and the desire and love I have for the game of basketball. I think that's the big thing. I love the game of basketball and have a lot of passion out there on the court. I hope that's the big thing people see and can get from watching me play."