Jarrett Allen has made the unnecessary, unadvisable, and admirable decision to play through a broken left ring finger. It's a decision that no one should make for him, nor should it be applauded to the extent of convincing other players, Cleveland Cavaliers members or otherwise, to do the same.
What Allen has done by playing through an injury that should be keeping him sidelined, however, is set the tone for the changes that need to be made for Cleveland to make the leap.
De'Andre Hunter made waves when he recently stated that the Cavaliers lost in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs because they were, "Mentally weak." By no means is sitting out when injured a sign of weakness, but Allen is certainly showing a rare strength by taking the court.
According to Ethan Sands of Cleveland.com, Allen spoke candidly about wanting to be on the court for his teammates and how strange it feels to him to miss games he believes he should be playing in.
“I feel like this is my job to be out there for my teammates,” Allen said after his return following a two-game absence. “My finger, it hurt pretty bad, but it didn’t hurt bad enough where I feel like I couldn’t contribute. And it honestly feels a little weird taking games off and not being out there. So I just gave what I had. ... I have enough in me to go out there and play."
It's by no means Allen's obligation to play through an injury, but it's hard not to commend him for what he's sacrificing to help the team.
Jarrett Allen playing through pain of broken finger to support Cavaliers
Allen suffered the injury against the Boston Celtics on Oct. 29 and returned just one week later. He was dominant in his first game back, posting 24 points, 10 rebounds, three offensive boards, three blocks, and three steals on 11-of-17 shooting from the field and a perfect 2-of-2 mark at the free throw line.
Allen also attempted two three-point field goals for the first time this season, which may reveal an intended addition to his game in 2025-26.
It was a continuation of what's quietly been an excellent individual start to the season for the 27-year-old big man. He's scored at least 20 points in three of his six appearances thus far, and has eclipsed 16 points in four of his past five showings.
Allen's most recent performance saw him set season-high marks in points, offensive rebounds, blocks, and steals despite needing to find a way to work around the pain he was experiencing. He opened up about the challenges of doing so in Sands' aforementioned article:
“Some plays where the ball was coming at me and I had to catch it with my left hand, any type of large hit to my left hand is definitely going to take me out for a second. But it wasn’t too, too bad. Just trying to figure out a way to work around it, a way to make sure that I’m not putting it in a vulnerable situation and play through it.”
Allen's success despite playing through a broken finger is nothing short of remarkable, but what may be most significant of all is how it represents a shift in mentality.
Cavaliers showing mental toughness they say they lacked in 2024-25
Hunter calling the Cavaliers out for lacking the mental toughness to overcome a difficult start to the second-round series they ultimately lost to the Indiana Pacers was telling. It revealed an internal dialogue that reflected how dire the situation in Cleveland had become.
The Cavaliers were no stranger to success during a 64-win season that included three different winning streaks of at least 12 straight games, but adversity was rare along the way.
Cleveland lost consecutive games on just three occasions during the 2024-25 regular season. Their longest losing streak was a four-game stretch that saw them fall from 56-10 to 56-14 in mid-to-late March—an experience one could argue they never truly recovered from.
Cleveland went 8-4 the rest of the way, but two losses to Indiana late in the regular season set the stage for their implosion and eventual 4-1 series loss in the second round.
What Allen's actions and Hunter's words reflect is an internal commitment to changing the culture. No player should be expected to play through an injury, but the impact of Allen doing so is a clear reflection of the determination of this year's team to make toughness an element of their ideology.
Considering Cleveland has already responded to two tough losses with victories over surging teams, it's safe to say the culture is beginning to change.