'Battle-tested' Allonzo Trier believes he can prove analysts wrong, make it in NBA

CHICAGO — Over three seasons with the Arizona Wildcats, Allonzo Trier collected some 1,307 points, a pair of Pac-12 titles, a conference tournament MVP trophy … and some life experience that is already coming in handy.

Because not long after Trier finished a career marred by a freshman-year injury and 22 total games of PED-related suspensions as a sophomore and junior, he began to fall on NBA mock draft boards.

None of the major mocks currently project him warranting one of the 60 picks. ESPN says he’s the No. 82 overall prospect; Sports Illustrated pegged him at No. 89 with a particularly blunt assessment.

“Trier is a dynamic scorer but his selfish type of play has earned him few admirers among NBA types,” SI wrote. “The ball sticks in his hands, and you question how he views himself and how willing he’ll be to adjust when he’s not the top perimeter option. … (Trier) certainly has talent, but needs to reinvent himself a bit to have a chance at sticking in the NBA.”

Those words, of course, are nothing that haven’t been whispered for years and, yes, Trier has heard all of them.

But he says he’s not really listening, either.

“Obviously, it’s bothering some because everybody’s human,” Trier said Friday at the NBA combine. “But you take it with a grain of salt. (Some writers) don’t know anything about basketball. He may be writing, but what does he know?”

Trier knows this: He left UA as the No. 27 leading scorer of all time despite basically playing only two seasons because of the hand injury in the middle of the 2015-16 season, the 19-game PED suspension in 2016-17 and the two-game PED-related suspension last season.

Trier’s UA career ended with a dismal loss to Buffalo in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Trier scored 10 points on 4-for-15 shooting, with two turnovers to his two assists, and missed all five 3-pointers he tried.

Having been reinstated on March 1 for what turned out to be six more games, Trier never regained the efficient form he showed much of the season, when he effectively become the Wildcats’ backup point guard as well as the top perimeter scoring threat.

“I was playing my best basketball and then all of a sudden you don’t play for a week and a half? It definitely didn’t help me finish out like I wanted to,” Trier said.

It definitely didn’t help Trier change a perception that he knew would be tough to change. He said Kevin Durant told him how difficult it is to change a reputation. The NBA star once found himself hammered for defense — even though he is now one of the NBA’s best defenders.

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“I do know what it is,” Trier said of that reputation. “But people who know basketball — that really, really know basketball — really understand. There’s the perception of, ‘Well, he didn’t pass. He’s a ball stopper.’ But then if you go look at my numbers and efficiency, they’re the exact opposite.

“It is what it is. If you ask coach (Sean) Miller, he’ll give you an honest answer. If you ask a lot of people who watch me or know me close, they’ve got good honest opinions.”

Trier finished last season averaging 18.1 points on 50 percent shooting, shot 38 percent from 3-point range and had a 1.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio while averaging 3.2 assists per game.

Trier tested well athletically at the combine, and scored 10 points in his final game Friday. However, Trier committed seven turnovers to his two assists over his two combine games.

Flipping that ratio — or proving he can do so during workouts for NBA teams this spring — could go a long way toward improving Trier’s draft stock.

“He’s a talented scoring guard, and he carried a heavy load for U of A offensively,” Suns general manager Ryan McDonough said. “He did a good job with it given the success they had in the regular season and the conference tournament.

“What I think people want to see from him is scoring and distribution. We know he can put the ball in the basket at the college level.”

Trier is confident he can do it at the NBA level, too.

“Being a skill player has always been my thing,” he said. “Being able to shoot and handle the ball and play the game the right way. … I’m just a guy who can make a lot of plays, get to the rim, and play with others.”

He’s also a guy who knows what adversity is. Maybe that counts for something, too.

“I guess the thing I can show is that with the negative and what I’ve gone through in my life, I’m battle-tested,” Trier said. “A guy who’s been at his lowest and still been able to push through and get to where I’m at today.”