B/R ranks Cavs’ Jarrett Allen as biggest 2022 All-Star snub

The 2022 NBA All-Star reserves were revealed on Thursday night, and it was awesome to see Cleveland Cavaliers lead guard Darius Garland selected to rep the Eastern Conference, and the hometown hosts in Cleveland.

Garland has had 19.8 points and 8.2 assists per contest this season, and has been an integral player for the Cavaliers. The Year 3 leap for Garland, which many seemed to expect heading into this season, has been front and center.

Hopefully for Garland and Cleveland’s sake, his back soreness doesn’t keep him out for too much longer. Back issues are tricky though, and it’s understandable that the Cavaliers are reportedly seeking backcourt/wing help via trade, given the Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio injuries, also.

On the subject of All-Star news for the Cavs on Thursday, unfortunately we did not see big Jarrett Allen named as one of the East’s reserves. That was tough to see, honestly, with what he’s been able to provide for Cleveland, one of the league’s surprise teams in 2021-22.

Allen has had a career season to this point in Year 5 with 16.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, and he’s averaged 1.4 blocks. His rim protection, growth in on-ball defense on the perimeter when needed and his feel has been a big reason why Cleveland is #3 in defensive rating this season, with Evan Mobley and others in mind, too.

Allen’s been one of the most efficient finishers around the rim in the league once again as well, but this season, he’s shown marketed improvements with his post game, and on hooks, he’s been terrific. The touch from him on those and push shots has been great this season.

Needless to say, while others were involved, it was genuinely shocking to see Allen, who naturally had a career-best 29 points and tacked on 22 rebounds in a win at the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, not be named to the East All-Star squad.

And in that realm, I thought it was noteworthy that Sean Highkin of Bleacher Report had Allen as his top 2022 All-Star snub. The others on the list, from #5-2 were as follows: Anthony Edwards, Jaren Jackson Jr., Dejounte Murray and Jrue Holiday.

That was telling from Highkin, and one would imagine many were surprised to see Allen left off, whether they’re Cavs fans or not.

Allen, as we hit on, has been instrumental this season for the Wine and Gold, who, even with their recent rough patch in losing three of four games, are currently third in the Eastern Conference at 32-21.

Allen has shown considerable offensive growth this season, is still among the game’s best lob threats and screeners, and he’s one of the significant reasons why Cleveland has been among the best in the league this season regarding opponent field goal percentage at the rim. Between him and Mobley, those two have been so difficult for opponents to convert on there, and it’s aided the team defense as a whole, which has been stingy in relation to opponent three-point shooting clips/makes, too.

With both ends of the floor factored in, it’s apparent that Allen seemed to be more than deserving of an All-Star nod this season in the Eastern Conference, with how he’s been an invaluable player for a Cavs team that is on the rise, but is still very young. Allen himself, for what it’s worth, is still just 23.

Granted, as Highkin himself noted, Allen would appear to be a logical top injury replacement for East captain Kevin Durant; we’ll have to see still, though.

Either way, it was again fairly surprising that the Fro didn’t get the All-Star nod outright.

But in general, while the Cavs seemingly received their share of criticism for giving Allen a new five-year, $100 million deal this past offseason, looking onward, with what he means to this Cavs team, that’s clearly been more than warranted so far.

Whether he ultimately is an All-Star formally or not, the Fro was a heck of a steal from the James Harden trade from early last season.