King James Gospel
Fansided

Cavs: Where does Jarrett Allen rank among the league’s centers?

By Josh Cornelissen

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 5
Next
Cavs
Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images /

Where does Jarrett Allen rank among the league’s centers? Tier 3 – High-end starters

We now enter the range where it is reasonable to more seriously consider Allen’s landing place. This tier, roughly the seventh through the tenth-best centers, are those who are not All-Star caliber (even if one has made two All-Star games) but are solid enough for their teams to feel confident they have the position covered.

Nikola Vucevic is the most offensively gifted, able to score at will from all three levels. He has some defensive questions but instantly elevates a team’s offense. He is under contract for $25 million per season, the final player who will make more than Allen next year.

Clint Capela proved his defense is top-notch during the Atlanta Hawks’ run to the NBA Finals, and his nose for lobs near the rim is spectacular. Capela, who had arguably had a better start to his career than Allen, was in a similar situation two offseasons ago and signed for five years and $90 million.

Brook Lopez is a veteran presence inside for the champion Milwaukee Bucks, one of the league’s best rim protecting centers and a brilliant defender of the pick-and-roll dance. Offensively he is not a high-volume guy but he can both bully smaller players inside and space the floor outside.

Finally, DeAndre Ayton is the guy in line behind Allen. During the playoffs Ayton elevated his game even further, attacking the rim to be available for passes (including Valley Oops) and catching and finishing with incredibly soft hands. Defensively he isn’t Gobert, but he is above average already and plays a pivotal role on a team that just made it to the NBA Finals.

Allen could develop into this group over time. He won’t have the offensive ability of Vucevic and likely won’t even develop an outside shot like Lopez or Ayton. That leaves the Clint Capela path, becoming an elite rim protector and willing screen-setter and rim-runner. He is no lock to get there, but it’s within the range of reasonable outcomes.