Jarrett Allen has once again landed among the league’s notable names entering the season, checking in at No. 64 on Bleacher Report’s top-99 NBA players list.
That fits the bigger picture in Cleveland, where the Cavaliers head into the year with a roster built to win now and a core that already pushed them to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. The expectation around this group is clear: get back there, and keep climbing toward the NBA Finals.
Donovan Mitchell remains the centerpiece, but Cleveland’s depth of talent gives the team a real chance to make another run. With players like James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Allen alongside him, the Cavaliers have the kind of collection that can line up with just about anyone in the league. Still, as the source material makes clear, this team will ultimately be measured by what it does in the playoffs.
Allen’s ranking comes after a postseason stretch that showed exactly why Cleveland values him so highly. In two Game 7s last season, he averaged 22.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.0 blocks. Those numbers stood out even more because they came when the pressure was highest, helping the Cavaliers get to the conference finals.
Over the regular season, Allen appeared in 56 games and averaged 15.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.8 blocks per contest. If he can deliver something in that range again, Cleveland should have a sturdy foundation to work with.
His partnership with Mobley remains a major part of that formula. The two give the Cavaliers a true frontcourt duo, one built to protect the paint and clean up the glass.
The season opens for Cleveland on Oct. 22 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
In Other News...
Peyton Watsons Cavaliers Debut Raised An Early Concern Cleveland Cant Ignore
Peyton Watsons first night in a Cavaliers uniform came with plenty of the activity Cleveland wanted to see, but not nearly enough of the control. In a loss to the 76ers after the Cavs had built a 29-point lead, Watson was around the ball on both ends, posting eight points, two assists, two steals and a block, while also dealing with the kind of sloppy stretches that can loom large in a debut.
Cleveland brought Watson in through a multi-team sign-and-trade and committed to him with a four-year, $88 million contract, so the margin for a shaky first impression is thin. His line included five turnovers and a team-worst minus-19, the sort of early warning sign the Cavaliers cant just wave off if they expect him to be part of a rotation built to hold up under playoff pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Opening Night Collapse Raises An Ugly Early Question
The Cavaliers came out flying on opening night and looked every bit like a team ready to set the tone for the new season, building a huge lead over Philadelphia behind a first-half surge. The frontcourt was part of the early success, and for a while it seemed like Cleveland was going to turn its first game into a statement win in front of a restless league waiting to see what this group could become.
Philadelphia flipped the script after halftime, though, and the way the game unraveled leaves an uncomfortable early question hanging over Cleveland. Mario Hezonjas return to the NBA offered one of the few bright spots for the Cavs, with contributions on both ends even as the loss wiped out the momentum from the opening half. The bigger issue now is whether this was just a rough night, or the first sign of a problem the Cavaliers will have to answer quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Blew A Big Opening Night Lead For One Frustrating Reason
The Cavaliers opened their new season with a loss that had an unsettling familiar feel, the kind that can linger because it looked so much like a previous Game 1 stumble against the Knicks. Cleveland had enough early firepower to put itself in position, with Donovan Mitchell leading the way and several rotation pieces showing flashes, but the game gradually tilted as the second half exposed some of the same issues that can haunt a team trying to establish itself early.
Mario Hezonja stood out as the top performer in the grading, giving the Cavs a boost with 10 points and useful defensive work, while Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and James Harden all had mixed nights that underscored how uneven the effort became. Mitchell still put up a big scoring night, but the turnovers and late-game slippage helped turn an opening-night lead into a frustrating reminder that Cleveland has to clean up the little things before these chances start getting away from it. [Read more 🡒]