The Cleveland Cavaliers are sending three deserving players to the All-Star Game. As the NBA’s best record at 39-9, they are the only team to send three players. Why not four??? The defensive anchor of the Cavs was snubbed. Jarrett Allen deserves to be an All-Star.
Night in and night out, Allen hustles away on defense, keeping Cleveland among the NBA’s very best. Conversely, the star big man remains accurate and low maintenance on offense, giving the Cavs a bread-and-butter option whenever he’s rolling toward or near the basket.
The Cavs have played ethical basketball throughout this season, as Allen puts it. That means everyone shares the load on either side of the ball and is focused on winning. This team approach has led to the NBA’s best record and why Cleveland is a steady favorite to contend for an NBA title this season. Allen’s two-way dominance is a big reason for that. Never missing a game for the Cavs, Allen has averaged 14.8 points on 70.3% shooting, 10.0 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks per game in 29.0 minutes per game. While they might not be the flashiest numbers, Allen’s consistency, his most significant attribute, can’t be tracked by counting stats.
His numbers may be mundane, posting roughly a 15 ppg and 10 rpg average with merely one block per game, but Jarrett Allen’s field-goal percentage is astronomical at roughly 70 percent. That, plus Cleveland’s excellent regular season thus far, led some to think Allen should have All-Star honors this year. That was ultimately not the case, however, although we’re sure Allen will be just fine with the extra vacation time. Overall, Allen has been fantastic this season for the Cavaliers, acclimating wonderfully in first-year Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson’s non-stop-cutting offensive system. Allen ranks in the NBA’s 87th percentile this season in points produced out of the pick-and-roll at 1.3-plus PPP (points per possession) on the play type.
In 43 games this season, the 25-year-old Allen is averaging 15.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 blocks while becoming a focal point on offense and anchor of the league’s second-ranked defense. He has recorded a double-double in 15 of the last 17 games.The Cavs have won 14 of their last 15 and are 19-4 since Dec. 16 — a stretch that saw them rise into the East’s second spot despite many of those games being played without franchise cornerstones Darius Garland and Evan Mobley.
The numbers speak for themselves. Allen surrenders flashy stats so the other stars can shine. There’s only one basketball to go around. Jarrett Allen doesn’t need 30 touches a game to be an All-Star. He’s one of the few that can dominate a game (or playoff series) without touching the ball.
Let’s go to Allen’s defensive greatness. There are a few centers that need to be accounted for on every second of every procession. Allen is one of them. A good nickname would be the Eraser because Jarrett Allen can erase defensive mistakes like it never happened. One would have to go back to Shaquille O’Neal to find a side line to side line seven-footer that affects every shot taken just by his presence.
Let’s not forget the intangibles. When the Cavaliers want to play small ball, they move Evan Mobley to center and bench Allen. Do you hear Jarrett Allen complain??? One would assume this isn’t his favorite move. No matter what his personal feelings are, Jarrett Allen will put the team first. Allen could be justified in asking for the ball more. 70 percent from the field shooting speaks for itself. Does he??? No, he lets Darius Garland and the likes of Ty Jerome shoot more.
In conclusion, Jarrett Allen deserves an All-Star spot. He lets others shoot more because that helps team morale and spirit. His strength at defense can’t be accurately measured. How do you measure all the shots not taken because he was close??? His ability to play at a high level on both sides of the court is why the Cavaliers are championship contenders. What more do you want out of an All-Star?????
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