The Cleveland Cavaliers are 2-0 in the James Harden era, and Jarrett Allen has looked absolutely unstoppable in both games.
Allen is averaging 25.5 points on 75 percent shooting alongside Harden, and given Cleveland's depth behind Allen, an unforeseen question has emerged for the Cavs: Could they theoretically advance to the NBA Finals this season without Evan Mobley?
The James Harden-Jarrett Allen connection has been explosive
Let's emphasize the theoretical nature of this Mobley question. The Cavs have every desire to build their future around the 24-year-old reigning Defensive Player of the Year. He isn't going anywhere this offseason, and he's expected to return from a calf strain after the All-Star break.
However, one of the reasons to highlight the Harden-Allen connection is to protect against panic if Mobley were to miss further time, or worse, get injured during the playoffs.
The Cavs are at their best with Mobley healthy, but they might actually be able to survive the East playoffs without him, based on how good Harden looks with one big man in pick-and-roll, especially if that center is Allen.
There's also the stellar play of Nae'Qwan Tomlin and Thomas Bryant to consider in this theoretical. Both Tomlin and Bryant have been excellent bench bigs for Cleveland, providing worthy depth behind Allen during Mobley's absence.
It's worth noting that Harden might be most effective with one big on the floor rather than two, something to watch for when Mobley returns. James is so clever at knowing when to dish the rock in pick-and-roll, and defenses are basically at his mercy if he gets to his spot and executes a clean initial screen with a big man like Allen. Two gigantic bigs might only crowd the court and give Harden less room to work with.
Allen deserves a ton of credit over the last two games, too, as he's demonstrated a knack for finding pockets in the defense to land in while rolling, setting himself up for a mid-range float shot that he hasn't been missing.
Surely, Mobley will be able to achieve similar effectiveness in actions with Harden, but Allen has set the bar high thus far.
We're also only talking about offense here. Mobley's defensive value is still his greatest strength, and it'll help make up for Harden's mediocre on-ball defense, just as it did for Darius Garland's defense (in an even more desperate sense).
Mobley is a player that can't be replaced, but that doesn't mean the Cavaliers can't win without him. Harden's chemistry with Allen has been impossible to ignore. If anything, it's cozy insurance for the Cavs against further Mobley injuries.