Kenny Atkinson Reflects On The Importance of Jarrett Allen

The Cavs Head Coach discussed the need to celebrate what his big man brings to the table

Sep 28, 2026; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) poses for a photo during media day at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cleveland Cavaliers are flawed in some ways but in many others, they feature a superb level of talent. And with so much talent, especially towards the top of the roster, it can be really easy to forget just how valuable several of the role players are if you aren’t seeing an immediate impact at the statistical level. And make no mistake, that is exactly what tends to occur with Cavs big man Jarrett Allen.

The Texas product is often regarded as the 4th option in a rather stacked Cleveland starting unit. And to be honest, when you are lining up beside the likes of Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and Evan Mobley, that’s a likely occurrence as each of those players will receive a solid number of touches and usage per game.

It’s just the nature of operating next to other talented individuals. That could feel even more noticeable after the arrival of athletic swing man Peyton Watson, who himself, is still developing and in need of a non-inconsequential number of touches to continue his ascension.

This ultimately means that Allen could find himself feeling the squeeze for touches in 2026-27 as he could potentially drop down to as far as the 5th option in the lineup some nights if things play out a specific way.

I’ve always been a proponent of keeping Allen involved in the offense. Making sure that he’s receiving enough opportunities to keep opposing defenses honest and ultimately, rewarding him for all the work he puts in as a screener, defender, and rim rolling presence out there.

And it seems that Cavs Head Coach Kenny Atkinson isn’t a stranger to that sentiment. When asked about what he expects out of Allen this upcoming season, he shifted the narrative a by suggesting the importance of rewarding Allen for all that he brings to the table on court.

He's gonna do all these connector things, role player things. Are we going to reward him for that? And I know even in the playoffs, it became a thing to reward him and Evan really. It's super important with this team. Took me a while to fully realize that but I think it's me as head coach appreciating him.

Kenny Atkinson on appreciating Allen

Atkinson knows how important Jarrett Allen can be to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He saw that play out first hand in two seperate game 7 performances during the 1st & 2nd round playoff series in 2025-26. The balance between the back court and front court will continue to be monitored moving forward and Allen's name figures to be a prominent fixture within those discussions once more.