It's difficult to decide which feat is more impressive.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are starting two traditional bigs -- two players capable of being full-time centers, neither of which is a true "stretch" option. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are not Karl-Anthony Towns or Al Horford on offense. Yet the Cavaliers have the league's best offense and are second in made 3-pointers per game. That's really impressive.
On the flip side of things, the Cavaliers are starting two small guards, neither of which is known for being a lockdown defender. Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell are locked in, but neither is Jrue Holiday or even Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on that end. Ty Jerome plays big minutes and is in a similar boat. Yet the Cavaliers have the league's sixth-best defense. That's impressive.
Much of the credit goes to Kenny Atkinson and his coaching staff for finding a way to pursue excellence on both ends of the court. Yet it's undeniable that Atkinson came in and focused heavily on the offensive side of the court, to excellent results. Inexplicably, the Cavs' defense has remained stout despite offense-first lineups. Why is that?
The Athletic's Sam Vecenie recently discussed the Cleveland Cavaleirs in detail on his "Game Theory" podcast with co-host Bryce Simon, and he took time to highlight a player on the team whom he believes is the most underrated player in the entire NBA: Jarrett Allen.
Jarrett Allen is the most underrated player in the NBA
Evan Mobley gets a lot of the defensive hype when discussing the Cavaliers, and rightfully so. His versatility on defense is incredible, he is an elite rim protector on both the strong side and the weak side, and he generates plenty of impact plays. Most defensive metrics have Mobley as a Top-5 defender in the league this season and a worthy Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
Yet to Vecenie's point, the love for Mobley in his breakout season has pushed Allen into the shadows, and that is an injustice that needs to be righted -- by media, by award voters, by fans. Jarrett Allen is an All-Defense level player, and the Cavaliers are great because of Allen - he is not an afterthought on this star-studded team, he is one of the stars.
Allen is a rare center who has the size -- height, length, weight and strength -- to match up down low with burly centers, but also has the agility, speed and reaction speed to defend on the perimeter. He has always been more comfortable switching onto the perimeter than is commonly thought because he has largely played in more conservative defensive schemes, but when called upon he doesn't hesitate to defend in space and stay with perimeter players.
Where Allen is best, however, is in a drop coverage, walling off the rim and preventing easy access to the most valuable shots in basketball. He steps up early enough so that ball-handlers have to make a decision to rush a shot or pass out; he is not relinquishing easy floaters or allowing players to get close enough to get lucky off the glass. He is an active defender who makes it possible for Evan Mobley to roam and cause havoc.
Allen is certainly no slouch on offense; he plays a smaller role because of the team he is on, but he is hyper-efficient with great touch around the basket and when Cleveland is short-handed he often increases his usage accordingly. Tuesday night down three rotation players, Allen stepped up and scored 23 points to go with 13 rebounds and three blocks. When they need him, Allen answers the call.
The success of the Cavaliers meant Allen got All-Star buzz this year, but he is very often considered to be a distant fourth among Cleveland's star players -- perhaps he is fourth, as those teammates are very good, but there's no "distant" about it. Many advanced metrics have Allen as a Top 10 or 15 player, and all of them agree that he is incredibly valuable.
Perhaps a Cavaliers championship will bring Allen the flowers that he is due. Or perhaps the acclaim will continue to go to his higher-scoring teammates, and he will continue to be excellent in the shadows. Either way, one of the league's most underrated players suits up for the wine-and-gold, and that is an impressive thing indeed.