Improvement Area No. 2 for Allen: Offensive assertiveness
One complaint thrown the Cavaliers’ direction is they are “too nice” (unless Donovan Mitchell plays against Dillon Brooks). Although Jarrett Allen towers over the majority of the rest of the NBA, he rarely uses this to punish smaller defenders or rush past his opponents. Forcing defenses to collapse in on him in the post could allow Allen to throw the ball to an open Donovan Mitchell or Darius Garland.
We have seen Allen’s ability to share the ball with his team. His court vision is well rounded. With a better sense of aggression and determination around the rim, Jarrett Allen can combine his willingness to pass to improve his overall effectiveness with this Cleveland roster.
Let’s face it. The future of the Cavaliers likely lays in the hands of Evan Mobley. Thus far, Jarrett Allen has served as a tremendous interior player next to him. As Mobley continues to demand more as the focal point of the offense, this detracts from Allen’s role.
This gives Allen the chance to play the vocal leader role for which every team seems to search now. He has shown flashes of passing talent already. If his chances to score continue to dwindle, serving as a tough defender and assertive playmaker could give Cleveland another way to push the tempo.
Defensively, Jarrett Allen is already there, and offensively Allen does not need to draw the technical fouls and dirty plays that other physical players do. Taking the lead on turning up Cleveland’s aggression gives him more value to help Cleveland’s growing young core. Everybody on the roster and in the city loves Jarrett Allen.
If Allen becomes an energetic vocal leader on the court, Cleveland can stay fired up in any situation. This will prove to be especially important come the NBA Playoffs.