It’s no secret that the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ big duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen has had a profound impact on the team’s defense.
With their length, rim protection, intelligence as rotators, and with Mobley’s switchability, and Allen even showing some of that this season, the two have been outstanding for the most part on that end. They have been the crucial reason that Cleveland has conceded the fifth-lowest opponent conversion rate in the restricted area this season, per NBA.com’s tracking data. What’s even more impressive is how the Cavs have protected the rim well but have fouled so infrequently.
It’s early, but those two have been great for the Cavaliers on the defensive end, and while they’re not great individually, I do credit guys such as Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen for their effort around Mobley and Allen. Theirs, along with Ricky Rubio’s, and pre-injury, Isaac Okoro’s has helped generate deflections and live-ball takeaways.
Now, circling back to Mobley and Allen, though, there are still some growing pains on the offensive end, and it will take time for them to be more of a formidable duo there. That’s clear, with Allen not being much of a shooting presence outside the paint, and Mobley not being a floor spacer from three-point range yet; I do believe the potential is there in that area for him, however.
That said, even with neither being stretch bigs at this juncture, the chemistry between the two is starting to get better each game and they’ve aided the team’s ball and man movement.
Cavs: The Mobley-Allen duo is starting to mesh offensively in how they’re playing off each other and in how they’ve been active off-ball reacting to teammates.
It’s evident that Mobley and Allen aren’t going to have the two-man game between either and the likes of Darius Garland or Ricky Rubio, for example; we know that.
31.8 percent of the passes to Mobley have come from Garland and 25.0 percent of his touches have come from Rubio, per NBA.com’s tracking data. For Allen, 32.6 percent have come from Rubio, with 25.3 percent from Garland, again, according to the league’s tracking data.
The aforementioned pass tracking in that realm is right in-line with what one would assume for both, though, from a pick-and-roll and entry pass/ball-swing perspective.
Regardless, as we alluded to, as the two have gotten more time together, both have seemingly improved as far as their cutting or movement off-ball for when one receives a pass from a teammate, or have timed up how they’ve received dumpoffs well.
It’s again not something we’ve seen often throughout games, but at times when Cleveland has gotten the ball to Mobley at the elbows or outside and doubles have come, he’s delivered precisely to Allen underneath. That’s led to lay-ins or dunks in those sequences, or in other instances, when Mobley has gotten the ball on the perimeter, and then fed Allen for dunks after sudden drives or hesitations.
As those passes have come from Mobley to Allen, it’s only helped lead to more driving opportunities and/or single coverage for Mobley, too, as it’s become apparent that with his timing and passing willingness, he’ll make teams pay for rotating off there and causing a smaller player to be matched up on Allen. That will pay dividends more consistently from here, also, particularly with how Allen’s finishing has been truly elite thus far this season.
Lastly, in relation to the transition/secondary break game, with Mobley at times able to be a grab-and-go threat, he can at times attack, and Allen’s hustle down the floor can help open lanes by establishing early seals or he’s a great target for Mobley as a cutter.
Or, somewhat along those lines, while the big-to-big passing in those situations isn’t as prevalent as looks from guards, in early clock, with Allen and Mobley quickly hitting outlets, with both being so good as rim runners, it has helped result in secondary break dunks for either down the floor. That’s been at times a great result from Allen or Mobley helping to generate deflections or blocks as rotators defensively on other occasions, too, for what it’s worth.
Anyway, although other Cavs shooters around them need to show more consistency from the perimeter to maximize the pairing offensively to match near their defensive prowess, the Mobley-Allen duo is starting to mesh more on offense with more games under their belt together.
And that’s a very encouraging sign for the Wine and Gold, who have won three in a row heading into Sunday’s game at the New York Knicks.