The Cleveland Cavaliers are in the midst of a brutal stretch of basketball, facing off against five straight teams with a winning record. To make matters worse, the Cavs will have to battle without their Jarrett Allen, as the All-Star center is expected to be sidelined indefinitely with a fractured finger; he recently suffered a quad contusion, also.
Touching further on their upcoming games, they have a battle with the number one-seeded Miami Heat before making a quick pit stop in Chicago to face off against the Bulls. The Cavs then come home to face the gritty LA Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Denver Nuggets.
These games will have major playoff implications considering how tight the top-6 race is in the Eastern Conference. The NBA hasn’t given the Cavs any breaks on their schedule and teams have seemed to put much more respect into this team.
To compensate for Allen’s injury, the Cavs signed Moses Brown to a 10-day contract but no player will be able to replicate what Allen does for the team. Allen is among the league’s best in rebounding, defense, and inside scoring. His All-Star season includes career-highs in points, rebounds, and field goal percentage.
A contract extension that was questioned by many now looks like a steal for a player still years away from his prime. Asserting himself as one of the NBA’s top centers, Allen’s presence will be missed as he recovers from injuries.
In today’s article, we will look at two adjustments that the Cavaliers could make with Jarrett Allen sidelined. It’s reportedly uncertain if Allen will return during the regular season, but either way, these adjustments can help Cleveland when he is out.
#1: More Kevin Love/Double Ball Screens
One of the biggest, if not the biggest thing that Jarrett Allen brings to the Cavs is his screen-setting ability. The pick-and-roll is an important part of the team’s offense as it opens up vertical spacing and is Darius Garland‘s “bread and butter.” The DG-JA connection is nearly unguardable for opposing teams as it is a pick-your-poison type of ordeal.
The Cavaliers have tried PnRs with Evan Mobley as the roll man but it isn’t as effective due to his slight frame. Considering Kevin Love‘s 6-foot-8, 251-pound-frame, he seems like the best option as a screen-setter.
With Love, the Cavaliers will lose that verticality but gain things in other areas. Love as a post player has more finesse than Allen with an array of moves to shake his defenders and get them off the ground.
Kevin Love as a screen setter also adds the pick-and-pop dynamic to the offense. Love’s lethal three-point shooting makes him a threat from outside. His quick trigger paired with his confident stroke is what will make him lethal in that area.
Another part of the pick-and-pop is that it has the potential to pull the big man out of the paint, leaving it open for the PnR initiator to operate or for easier finishes at the rim from cutters.
The double ball screen is also something that the team could look to experiment with during Allen’s absence. The double ball screen refers to having two screeners, with one looking to roll and the other looking to pop in the Cavs’ case. This play would create confusion for opposing defenses which could in turn free up Mobley for a lob, Love for an open three, or getting a defender off of Garland.
This screen action could also help to create mismatches. In certain cases, Garland could get a big switched onto him and use his elite handle and craftiness to get by him. Love could work his way into the post from the three and use his strength to muscle through a smaller defender and finish over him.
Whatever the case is, more Love screens make sense with Allen sidelined and could unlock something in an offense that has gone stagnant many times as of late.
#2: Mobley minutes at center means increased three-point spacing
With Allen sidelined, the Cavaliers have gone back to Evan Mobley as their starting center, at least for now, which is an obvious move. Now, the team should have two non-shooters in the majority of their lineups rather than the three they usually have with Isaac Okoro, Mobley, and Allen.
This move should benefit guys like Okoro and Lauri Markkanen the most. The Cavaliers are one of the top teams when it comes to cuts from players and a good chunk of that comes from Okoro. With his quick first step and upper body strength, Okoro can get by his opponents with some ease and finish in a less congested paint.
For Markkanen, he’ll return back to his natural position at power forward. The small forward position change has had its ups and downs for Markkanen and it’s clear to see that his “unicorn-like” abilities are diminished against these quicker defenders. Slower defenders mean slower closeouts and are easier for Markkanen to get by them.
Looking at other players, Caris LeVert could see improvements in his mid-range/driving game with improved spacing once he returns from injury. Kevin Love operating in the low-post becomes more efficient with increased spacing. Darius Garland has operated well with all types of players on the court but an open paint could mean more floaters/drives for the All-Star point guard.
All in all, increased three-point spacing should mean a smoother offense and higher quality looks for players.