The Cleveland Cavaliers are at their best when Jarrett Allen is. Getting Allen effectively involved in the scoring department has undeniably proven to be what works best for the team when it comes to the deliverable results during the 2025-26 NBA season thus far for the Cavs.
Cleveland is a perfect 4-0 this season when Allen scores at least 20 points in the game. Those four wins came against solid competition too. The Cavaliers secured the result against the Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Brooklyn Nets in the process of activating their center.
That pattern extends to a larger sample size of scoring too. In games that Allen scores at least 15 points, the Cavaliers are 7-1, with the lone loss coming against the Boston Celtics in late October.
On the other end of the equation, Cleveland has a disappointing 1-3 record when Allen only posts single digits in the scoring department. That should all paint a crystal clear picture, giving the Cavaliers a vision for their offense that should be fairly easy to execute.
Cavaliers keep thriving whenever Allen taps into his scoring arsenal
It's not like Allen is some sort of dominant force on the interior. This trend has more to do with just raising the general activity level for the former All-Star center.
Allen can have a tendency to disappear from ball games when the Cavaliers do not make an effort to get him in on the action. Those extra touches and shots down low keeps the starting center more active and involved.
On nights when Allen has taken at least 10 field goal attempts, once more, the Cavaliers have a flawless record, going 5-0. Even when pushing that boundary to eight attempts, the record is still an impressive 7-2 for Cleveland.
Luckily for the Cavaliers, they have what they need back in place to position Allen, and the team by extension, for success. That all has to do with the return of Darius Garland to the lineup.
After giving everyone a serious scare with another toe injury, Garland is back on the court for the Cavaliers. Him and Allen have yet to cross paths since this most recent return due to the latter's injury problems of his own, but that time is coming.
Garland has been uneven as a scorer in his last two outings, but the passing game has been there for him as a fallback. The Cavaliers point guard dished out eight assists in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers, and seven assists when taking down the Indiana Pacers.
Garland and Allen have always had good chemistry with each other. The Cavaliers must get those two to go back to showing that element off to ensure the long-term success in Cleveland.