Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson is putting Cleveland’s defensive spotlight directly on Jarrett Allen, his star big man. “We all know J.A.’s next step is to be able to guard five out, Atkinson said. “I think it’s a challenge. But he’s more than capable with his versatility. I will say this, they apply that, but we also have two bigs offensively, so they’re going to have to guard us too, right? It’s a hard guard for us. “But I think when we play those two bigs together with our offensive rebounding, our pick and roll offense with J.A., they’re going to have to guard him. So it might seem like a disadvantage for us on one end. It could be an advantage for us on the other [hand].”
Source: Clutch Points
Source: Clutch Points
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Jarrett Allen destroyed the Heat with a postseason career-high 22 points and 10 rebounds. Mobley scored 19 points with six boards. The Cavs mashed Miami in the paint, shooting 70 percent from inside. De’Andre Hunter came off the bench for 21 points. And the defensive effort this team turned in Saturday was something to behold. The playoffs are not about statements, but rather about surviving and advancing. And it’s not like the Heat are comparable to the Cavs this year, based on their regular-season records (Miami finished 27 games out of first, behind the Cavs), but the Cavs nevertheless made an emphatic statement Saturday. “We definitely want to prove where we’re at right now,” Mobley said. -via New York Times / April 27, 2025
Allen said he is strictly a purveyor of physical books, no e-reading device. “I want to have a big (library) collection when I get older. I keep all the books that I read, so I want to be able to look back and be like, ‘Oh, I remember when I read that back in 2017.’ That’s the fun in it for me.” -via USA Today Sports / April 22, 2025