Cavs: Jarrett Allen at #17 is just right in FS ranking; should move up in ’22

The real question is, why is Lonzo Ball ranked 16th?

When I first glanced over the new names unveiled, I did not expect to see Ball in the top 20 of this list. The fact that he is ranked above Sexton even, is a mockery. I would even lobby that every player on this list should be ranked above Ball, even Kevin Huerter. So the fact that he is ranked above Sexton is odd. However, ranking him 16th above Tyrese Haliburton, Jaren Jackson Jr., Cade Cunningham, and of course Jarrett Allen is just insulting.

Let’s first dive into how much better of a player Allen is than Ball.

Before we go any further, let’s just take a look at their stats. I would go ahead and say Allen’s role is different, so his points per game average will be higher. Even taking that into account, Ball only averaged 14.6 points per game compared to Allen’s 13.2. Now, I don’t know about you guys, but when comparing point guards and big men, I compare the two players assists and rebounds. They are very different, but a rebound for a big guy, is not equal to an assist, but it’s on par.

So, even I was shocked by this, Ball averaged only 5.7 assists per game this past season. It was his second lowest assist average in his four-year career. Allen, on the other hand, grabbed 9.9 rebounds per game. So essentially, even if you equate a rebound and a half to an assist, Allen clearly has the edge. On the defensive end, both are great defenders for their positions.

Ball is a great on-ball defender, and perimeter defender overall. He averaged a steal and a half a game last year. Allen averaged a half a steal per game last year to go along with a block and a half. So, clearly they are both very good defenders, there’s no question about that.

If you take a look at the overall impact Allen has on the court compared to Ball’s, you’ll see that Allen has much more of an impact. On defense he’s an elite rim-protector, and can even switch to guard a bigger forward if need be. On top of that, he cleans the glass for the Cavs, and starts their fastbreak.

Finally, obviously big men have better shooting percentages than guards and wings, because a majority of their shots are closer to the rim. Still, Ball shot only 41 percent from the field last year, while Allen torched the nets at 61 percent and was finishing so well.