How Cavaliers Postseason Success Could Depend on Jarrett Allen's Availability

The NBA season is beginning to wind down. Tanking teams are tanking, and teams in contention are battling for seeding.

While the division may seem to be already lost, the Cavaliers can still have home-court advantage in the first round if they can protect their number four seeding.

If they can handle business in the regular season, the Cavs will look to have one of their foundational pieces, Jarrett Allen, healthy and at full strength for those games.

Inside Allen's current injury

Jarrett Allen has battled injuries most of this season. In December, he missed a handful of games due to a finger strain. Now, Allen has missed what will be nine straight games with knee tendinitis.

The initial injury update on March 16th said that he was expected to miss 'at least’ three more games. Tuesday’s game against the Magic will be his fourth straight missed game, with no real updates pending.

So far this season, without Jarrett Allen, the Cavs are 10-9 and 34-18 with Allen. While it is a good sign that the team has remained above water without him, it is clear that they are a much better team with Jarrett Allen playing.

Do not forget how dominant Allen was in February, posting a 22.3 points per game average to go along with a 74% field goal percentage and grabbing 11.5 rebounds a game. He was an unstoppable force, and that is just what the Cavs need in the postseason.

Why the Cavs need Allen

Jan 8, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates with center Jarrett Allen (31) after the Cavaliers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

As stated above, this Cavaliers team is 34-18 with Allen in the lineup and 10-9 without him. If they are to go into a series against the Celtics or the Pistons, they are going to need the big body down low to not only protect the rim but also clean up the mess on missed shots.

Having Allen also allows Evan Mobley to stretch the floor a little more. Mobley will not be so heavily relied upon to protect the rim and be a big body down low for postups and layups alike. Mobley likes to shoot the occasional three-pointer, and having Allen on the floor just opens up those opportunities that much more.

Allen is a player who lives down low and in the middle, while Mobley is someone who likes to handle the ball and shoot or dish. Without Allen, Mobley needs to be the team’s big body. With Allen, Mobley needs to be whatever he wants to be, which is usually when he is at his best.

Not to mention, having Jarrett Allen on the floor with James Harden, a pick-and-roll master, opens up the floor for not only Evan Mobley but also Donovan Mitchell. Harden is an all-time NBA player, so giving him the ball off a pick-and-roll will leave him the option to shoot it, dish it to Allen, or dish it to an open shooter elsewhere. If Allen gets the ball, he is savvy enough to know whether to kick it out or to jam it on someone’s head.

He may not look like much, but 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block a game really alleviates pressure on other players on the floor who are not as comfortable or successful as Allen is in his area of the floor.

Without Jarrett Allen, players are forced to play a little out of position and out of their comfort zones. Having Jarrett Allen allows everyone to play freely and as the team should. The flow and rhythm of this entire Cavaliers team changes for the better. If the Cavs want to make any noise in this year’s playoffs, Jarrett Allen and his availability will be imperative to said success.