Former Cleveland Cavaliers' Champion Issues Brutal Reality About Jarrett Allen

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been under the microscope ever since they were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers. Their second-round exit in these playoffs marked their third-straight dismissal before the Conference Finals, one for every season since they traded for star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell.

With their repeated postseason shortcomings, the Cavs' core roster is now under scrutiny, as their ability to seriously contend for a title now seems highly questionable. Every single member of their "Big 4" has been called to the stand in one way or another.

Critics have challenged Darius Garland's toughness after he missed several games with a sprained toe. Donovan Mitchell's status as a championship-caliber number-one option is now in doubt after another early playoff exit, while his former co-star Rudy Gobert is playing in the Western Conference Finals for the second year in a row. Evan Mobley is getting earmarked as the primary asset in a potential trade with the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Jarrett Allen, however, might be on the receiving end of the worst of it out of Cleveland's core group.

As a traditional run-and-jump center, Allen was already considered the most expendable member of the Big 4. His rim protection and at-rim finishing might be top-notch, but his limited skillset is by far the easiest to replace. Still, JA deserves his flowers for the Cavaliers' incredible achievements over the past few years.

Former Cleveland champion Channing Frye believes that Allen should be praised for his work in the regular season, but also thinks that he's largely responsible for the Cavaliers' playoff shortcomings:

"Jarrett Allen is not a playoff big man... Is he a great regular-season, All-Star-caliber player? Absolutely. Do you know what bothered me the most about that series [against the Pacers]?... As the main dude, the biggest dude on your team, you've got to f*** somebody up once in a while... He is a great NBA player. If you want to win a chip... no other big man respects him... You're being exposed now as soft."

Frye was alluding to Allen's nature as a gentle giant, discounting the All-Star center for his big smile and seemingly aloof personality. He criticized him for not being more physical on the court, not being more involved in on-court scuffles and shows of aggression, and lastly, not playing through injury. Last year, JA missed the bulk of the Cavs' playoff games with what was originally reported as a rib contusion but ultimately turned out to be a broken rib. It seems that Channing Frye never got the update on Allen's ailment. Jarrett Allen has certainly had his fair share of postseason struggles, but criticizing him for not being more violent and sitting out with a broken rib is unfair.