1 stud and 2 duds from the Cavs’ loss on Tuesday night to Knicks

Cavs Stud: Jarrett Allen

We’re getting to that point in the season where Cavalier fans see how important big man Jarrett Allen is to everything they do. People often forget that the Cavs would have likely been a shoe-in for a top-6 seed in the Eastern Conference last year had Allen stayed healthy. Well, last night was another great performance for the man from Texas.

Allen finished the outing with 24 points and 12 rebounds. On top of that he blocked one shot and finished 12-of-17 from the floor. He didn’t get to the free throw line all night, which was surprising if you watched the game. Allen was physical around the rim, but didn’t receive the benefit of the whistle the entire night.

Overall it was a solid performance from Allen. On a night where the Cavaliers didn’t have a single bench player with a positive +/-, it underscored how important he is to Cleveland on the defensive end, but also the offensive side of the ball.

We often look at Allen the last line of defense, but he plays an important role on the offense as well, grabbing offensive rebounds, and being a key factor in the pick-and-roll game for the Cavalier guards.