Jarrett Allen has looked like a dominant, All-NBA-type center ever since James Harden joined the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Allen's February averages of 22.3 points and 11.5 rebounds per game (11 games) placed him in a great position to contend for Eastern Conference Player of the Month. These numbers also indicate something vital about the Cavs, who were 8-3 in February.
The Cavaliers dominate when Jarrett Allen scores 20 points
The Cavs are now 11-2 on the season whenever Allen scores 20 or more points. The formula sounds obvious -- get Allen the ball!
Then again, things are far more complicated than that for Kenny Atkinson's club, which ultimately "features" Allen as a fourth option behind Donovan Mitchell, Harden, and Evan Mobley.
Does this mean there's a conflict of interest happening within Cleveland's hierarchy? Does Mobley need to get traded this offseason?!
The answer is no, we don't need to dive into that headspace. Not yet, anyway.
If anything, the correlation between an aggressive Allen and winning basketball for the Cavs just reiterates that Jarrett absolutely must keep his foot on the gas and avoid falling back into his habit of spectating.
Again, though, that's where things get dicey for Allen. How much control does he really have over his own involvement and field goal attempts, when there are three guys ahead of him who are expected and asked to eat more than he is?
James Harden holds the key to Jarrett Allen's production
This is where you realize that Allen's scoring is actually in the hands of Harden, who has already displayed the effortless power to create a handful of easy buckets for Allen every night via lob.
If Atkinson was determined to get Allen 20 a night, the first person he'd want to hold a meeting with is Harden, not Allen.
Moreover, the Harden-Allen chemistry -- which was at its most sparkling while Mobley was sidelined (yikes...) -- speaks to the adequate floor space the Cavs require to be at their best.
By contrast, things feel a tad clunky and crowded offensively whenever Allen and Mobley have shared the floor alongside The Beard.
Maybe Atkinson will realize that staggering Allen and Mobley's minutes more so than usual is what's best. On the other hand, Atkinson and his staff might opt to maintain the status quo, given the heavenly ceiling that Allen-Mobley lineups offer Cleveland defensively.
Either way, Allen himself can maximize the Cavs' Finals odds by continuing to lock in as we enter March and beyond. Whatever mental space he's been in, he should stay in, with hopes that Atkinson makes the right chess moves to ward off a substantial regression.