Cleveland Cavaliers: 2 underrated aspects of Jarrett Allen’s game

#2: Allen’s effectiveness in transition/how well he gets down the floor will make a difference for the Cavs

The second underrated aspect of Allen’s game, to me, is his effectiveness in transition. Allen is not a grab-and-go big, such as Larry Nance Jr., but Allen really runs the floor for a 5.

The 6-foot-11, 243-pound Texas product runs, in particular, rim-to-rim especially well, and that should give the Cavaliers some easy baskets at times, considering again, his touch and vertical threat near the rim.

JaVale McGee has provided that element at times for the Cavs this season, too, albeit McGee does not have nearly the touch Allen has. And while he does have the quickness to some degree to be effective there and has still been efficient, projecting onward, I love how Allen could fit in in that realm for years to come, and I’d expect Cleveland to want to push pace more at times.

Allen, who is an ascending rim protector and has a robust career block rate of 4.4 percent, runs so well in the transition game, and should mesh with Okoro, Sexton and Nance in that regard projecting onward.

The volume hasn’t been high in terms of transition scoring situations at 7.7 percent and 6.1 percent, but Allen has placed in the 92nd and 81st percentile in those scenarios in 2019-20 and 2018-19 with Brooklyn, per Synergy.

So to me, similarly to how he should help as a roller in settled offense, I’d think in transition/secondary transition, with Allen’s threat near the rim in the open floor, he’ll aid Cleveland’s shooters in transition/secondary transition as well.

That’s following opposing live-ball turnovers/after his own blocks potentially, or just via again secondary transition after defensive rebounds for others.

Having a big that runs as well as Allen does should be very meaningful and give Cleveland energy throughout games, though, which we shouldn’t overlook, and will aid those on the floor with him in the process.