It’s clear to everyone that Donovan Mitchell runs the Cleveland Cavaliers. With him missing time due to surgery, some fans might have felt tense about where the scoring and leadership would come from when they faced the Miami Heat.
While it was expected that they would fall flat on their face against Jimmy Butler and the Heat, there was one small positive to get from the defeat. Jarrett Allen stepped up to take over for the Cavs as they almost eked out a win over Miami.
Jarrett Allen gets praised for his incredible 20-20 performance for the Cleveland Cavaliers
Allen was the bright spot for the Cavs in Mitchell’s absence as he took over Mitchell’s scoring responsibilities. He finished the game with 25 points, 20 rebounds, and three assists. He was also efficient on the floor, scoring 77% of his shot attempts and 83% of his free throw shots.
Head coach JB Bickerstaff couldn’t help but feel impressed with how Allen carried himself during the game and the entire season, per Cavs Insider’s Logan Potosky:
“He just continues to progress, continues to take steps, continues to be dominant, and just do whatever he thinks he can to help us win basketball games. He’s been a leader, he’s been consistent. He’s been dedicated to whatever it is that we’re trying to do. He’s been selfless with his body. He’s sacrificed a ton physically just to help this team win games.”
With this being his third 20-20 game in the Cavaliers, he’s now finding his footing as the standout big man the Cavaliers can count on when Mitchell is out.
Jarrett Allen has become a solid big man in today’s NBA
Allen has come a long way from his debut with the Brooklyn Nets. It was with this same team that he first made national headlines for his empathic block on LeBron James.
He’s continued working on his offensive game to complement his already-elite defensive instincts to become an effective big man in today’s NBA game. This season, He’s putting up 16.3 points, 19.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.2 blocks on 63% shooting and 74% from the free-throw line.
While he’s still far from being the best center in the league (Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic have that locked), he’s what the Cavaliers need to make it out of the Eastern Conference.
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