Cavs: Grading the Jarrett Allen signing on three levels
Grading the Jarrett Allen signing: The Fit
Jarrett Allen fits well one of the modern archetypes of a big man. He is not a post-up dinosaur hoping to get touches on the block and break down his defender. Allen sets hard screens and rolls to the hoop, sucking in the defense or sprinting his way open for alley oop passes. He is not a shooter, hitting just 20 percent of his 85 career attempts from distance.
Defensively Allen is a strong rim protector, not to mention a strong player in general who is not easily moved. His feet are faster than you would think, and he does a reasonable job defending in space, but his best scenario is a scheme that drops him back into the paint and allows him to deter all comers.
Allen fits a lot better than other centers, such as his predecessor Andre Drummond, because he does not demand the ball. He is a talented finisher and reasonable passer so he should get touches, but he is not going to pull them forcefully from his teammates. He can slot in lower on the food chain and still thrive.
The idea of Evan Mobley fits decently well with Allen. Mobley is purported to be a “perimeter player” in a “big’s body” and thus able to space the floor from the 4 position. His handle and passing mean he and Allen can even run big-big pick-and-rolls together. Allen’s speed as a defender and weakside shot-blocker could allow him to excel alongside a traditional center.
The balance of assets has to be weighed here as well. This team is paying an exorbitant amount of money to its big men, from Kevin Love’s $31 million to Allen’s $20 million average and Larry Nance Jr.’s $10.7 million. Evan Mobley was taken with the third overall pick, the highest draft pick in seven years for the team. That is a lot of this team’s assets tied up in the modern game’s least valuable positions.
Long-term the Cavs have to hope that Evan Mobley can hold up as a center defensively. Perhaps even when he fills out they will want to start a traditional center, but the way to truly unlock his upside and the future Cavs roster will be with Mobley at the 5 with guard skills on offense, and four perimeter players spread around him.
If the Cavs want to realize that potential, they will likely need to move on from Allen down the line. While it’s possible he will play out his entire contract in Cleveland, it’s nowhere near a certainty. It seems like a difficult choice to invest $20 million a season on a player you hope will get pushed from the starting lineup because your star developed properly.
Grade: B-