Do the Cavs have the best center rotation in the NBA? Jarrett Allen
Jarrett Allen is listed at 6’11”, but his massive frame, long arms and profile-increasing afro make him an incredibly intimidating force inside for the Cleveland Cavaliers. After signing a five-year, $100 million contract last offseason he had a career year for the Cavs, increasing his previous career-high in scoring by over three points per game.
Allen’s best means of scoring is as a pick-and-roll partner with Darius Garland; the two gained elite chemistry over the course of the season, with Allen’s hard screens and incredible lob radius giving Garland the window needed to get the ball to his big man. He finished fourth in the league in dunks with 164, and played 10-16 fewer games than the three players ahead of him.
Far from only a dependent player, however, Allen’s touch around the basket improved as well, and he unleashed a deep bag of hook shots and post moves.
He is also a force on the glass, averaging a career-high 10.8 rebounds per game and finishing tenth in the league in offensive rebound percentage (the percentage of available offensive rebounds he grabs while on the court) at 12 percent. He came in at 15th in rebound percentage in the entire league.
Defensively is where Allen shines, however. He was one of the league’s very best rim protectors last season. The Cavs funneled offenses into the paint and Allen shut them down; the Cavs finished first in opponent field goal percentage at the rim, and sixth from 3-10 feet. Allen was a driving factor; no player held opposing players to a lower percentage at the rim than expected than Allen (minimum 41 games and four attempts per game).
It’s not crystal clear where Allen ranks among the league’s centers, as so many fill different kinds of roles on their teams. Last season he finished fourth among all centers in Estimated Plus-Minus, behind only Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Rudy Gobert. You probably put Bam Adebayo above him as well. The conversation begins there at fifth for Allen, and doesn’t drop any lower than 10th.