The Cleveland Cavaliers are hoping to secure their second championship in franchise history. Led by the ever-evolving Donovan Mitchell, the Cavs are perennial playoff contenders, at the least. But in order to challenge teams like the Boston Celtics, the reigning NBA champions, they’ll need more than the high-flyer’s hijinks. Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen —Cleveland’s other core starters —can’t be let off the hook.
Garland, who was once primed to be the franchise star, has to find out how to put more pressure on the defense while playing within himself. Under Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson, that could result in him taking more 3s. Mobley, who entered the NBA with a lot of hype, has to take his offensive responsibilities as seriously as his defensive assignments. Atkinson plans to unlock him by empowering him to be a more assertive playmaker.
As for Allen?
Cavs’ Koby Altman Gushes Over All-Star Starter Jarrett Allen
“Jarrett’s immensely important to us. I think we’re almost like a .500 team when he’s not playing, which is remarkable,” Cavs president Koby Altman comments, per Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor. Since his arrival in Jan. 2021, the Cavs are 139-113 with Allen and 20-33 without him.
“He’s the oldest 26-year-old you’ll ever find. It’s incredible that he’s 26 years old somehow, and this is his second extension. The first one was a five-year, $100 million extension that everyone was like, ‘Whoa, that’s a lot.’ It became one of the best contracts in the league. Now to extend him and tack on another three years, it keeps that continuity.”
“He’s the core of our defense, super consistent,” Altman continues. “To have him locked up for another five years is incredible. It speaks to what we’re building here.”
Fro Under Fire
Allen hasn’t had the greatest PR these past couple of years. His toughness has now been questioned in consecutive postseasons, and it was internal on at least one occasion. The first instance came after the New York Knicks bullied he and Mobley with their physicality. This past postseason, his refusal to take pain-killing injections to be available took center court.
So far as his willingness to put his body on the line, it’s truly a layered subject. Should wins really be more important than long-term health? Though athletes are lionized for playing through injuries, should they be villainized or emasculated when they don’t?
To someone like Marcus Morris, who is now a free agent after the Knicks waived him in the wake of the Karl-Anthony Towns—Julius Randle trade, Allen should’ve been willing to do what it took to be on the floor in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
.@MookMorris2 on Jarrett Allen missing playoff games due to injury.
“If you put me in that same position, do I play? Yes.” pic.twitter.com/rmTsVZFKOe
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) May 24, 2024
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J.B. Bickerstaff, who is now coaching the Central Division rival Detroit Pistons, would probably agree. Mitchell has a different perspective. In fact, he was supportive of the big man when Allen was rumored to be on the hot seat.
With that being said, Morris and Bickerstaff are on the outs in Cleveland. Meanwhile, Mitchell and Allen agreed to contract extensions with the franchise in the offseason. That isn’t to say that the Cavs punished Morris and Bickerstaff for their view of Allen; there are other reasons they weren’t retained. Nonetheless, Altman’s clearly putting the team’s money where their mouth is.
Bland Is Beautiful
Allen may feel a little bit like Colorado’s two-way standout Travis Hunter, a Heisman hopeful. While dominating on both sides of the field, Hunter has been described as “bland” receiver by sports pundit and former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman.
Travis Hunter showed up to UCF with this shirt after Richard Sherman called him a “bland” receiver
pic.twitter.com/zwECvretNT
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 28, 2024
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That’s essentially how one would describe Allen’s offensive game, for the most part.
He averaged a career-high 16.5 points per game, more than 2024 Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid, for instance. However, he gets his points from hook shots and dunks, with the occasional poster.
He’s not facing up from 15 feet out like Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. He’s not pirouetting his way through the defense, like Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. Allen’s a traditional center, albeit one who can knock down shots outside the paint. Nonetheless, he’s a reliable volume scorer.
He’s also the team’s defensive anchor, locking down the paint and making it easier for his teammates to be aggressive at the point of attack. Again, there’s nothing particularly fancy about what Allen’s doing.
He’s athletic enough to step away from the paint, which is all but necessary in this day and age. However, he’s just an archetypal shot-blocker who relies on his timing and length.
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