Jarrett Allen has been the Cavs MVP of near-first quarter of season

Many seemed to be critical of the Cleveland Cavaliers for signing Jarrett Allen to a five-year, $100 million contract this past offseason, as there were plenty of other bigs on the Cavs. Allen proved to be a quality trade acquisition during last season, but with Cleveland’s other pieces, and Allen not being a stretch big, many in the Cavaliers fan base appeared to be skeptical of that move.

I understood the reasoning there, with Evan Mobley being the team’s #3 selection in the 2021 NBA Draft, and the team later in the offseason acquired Lauri Markkanen from the Chicago Bulls via sign-and-trade.

Allen was a very effective player before this season, though, and so far this year, that new deal for him has been warranted, and he’s taken his finishing, interior, screening and defensive game to a new level.

Allen has been a crucial reason why the Cavs have, despite such a difficult schedule, started out at 11-10, and his efforts night-in, night-out when he’s been in there have been huge for Cleveland.

He’s started out with a career-best 16.2 points per game on 69.8 percent shooting, and has averaged 11.9 rebounds per outing, which is a career-best, too. He’s eighth in the league in rebounds per contest at that mark, and, even with most of his shots in the restricted area, Allen is second in the league in field goal percentage, both per Basketball Reference.

He’s been great for Cleveland on both ends of the floor, and combined with outstanding rookie Evan Mobley, that’s quite a defensive frontcourt already.

But to me, while the likes of Darius Garland, particularly with the loss of Collin Sexton, and Mobley, who leads the league in contested shots per game (per NBA.com’s hustle data), could be viable candidates, Allen has been the standout thus far for Cleveland.

Allen keeps improving, and so far, he’s been the Cavs MVP for essentially the first quarter of the 2021-22 season.

Those aforementioned guys in Garland and Mobley have legitimate cases for Cleveland’s MVP at the near-quarter poll, too.

Garland has helped take on more of the scoring load with Sexton out, and has had 18.6 points and 7.2 assists per game, and his connection with Cleveland’s bigs is a terrific one, as a side note. Garland is really coming into his own, and the Cavs need it.

In Mobley’s case, for a 20-year-old big, his ability to contain drivers, including guards at times, and his rim protection, and off-ball feel has been invaluable for the Cavaliers. He leads all rookies in blocks right now, and has been steady, for the most part, on offense; his recent catch-and-shoot progress has been very encouraging, too.

Circling back, though, from my perspective, so far, the Cavs MVP at basically the quarter mark of this season has to be Allen. That’s for how he has often anchored the Cavaliers defense while fouling pretty minimally, and for what he’s provided on the interior. The same goes for on the glass.

Night-in and night-out, aside from a few games, and a three-game absence because of illness, Allen has consistently given Cleveland much-needed paint production, and he’s shown growth as a post-up player.

Allen’s footwork has been exceptional on the interior, which shouldn’t be discounted for his continued development. And we know the constant lob threat and putback player he is, which is crucial for this relatively young Cleveland team, and for guys such as Darius Garland and Ricky Rubio.

So, for right now, even with Garland on track for a breakout, and with Mobley’s start, with Allen’s production on the inside, rebounding, rim protection, and his physicality and toughness, I have to go with him as the Cavs MVP of the first quarter. Furthermore, the soon-to-be 24-year-old is 10th in the league in win shares per-48 minutes, per Basketball Reference, and it’s not too shocking as to why.

He’s proving to be worthy of his offseason deal, and in his past four appearances, has been especially on-point, as expressed by Cavs Notes following Cleveland’s pummeling of the Dallas Mavericks. He had a career-high 28 points in that contest on 12-of-17 shooting, to go with 14 rebounds and a block.

Moreover, to me, with all he’s done for the Cavs on both ends, and with Allen continually improving, it’s apparent that he’s the MVP at the near-quarter poll for the Wine and Gold. It’s also clear that he’s an emerging leadership presence on this Cavaliers team, too, which is no small deal, either.

Keep up the awesome work, Fro!