Jarrett Allen | 2022-23 Cavaliers Player Year in Review

3 Key Factors Around 2022-23 Season for Jarrett Allen:

1 – Good Guy award

Before we begin on Jarrett Allen’s 2022-23 statistics on the floor, Allen is a very good guy and is good for the Cleveland community off the floor. That does have value and he really brings a smile to everybody with his positive attitude.  Allen waving before the game always makes me smile, and I love that tradition that he has started, a simple but loving gesture to the fans, so cool!

And it is pretty obvious that Allen is well-liked by his teammates and that too has value, no drama whatsoever with Allen.  He is the clear winner of the Good Guy Award on the Cleveland Cavaliers and this is a team filled with good attitudes.

2 – Statistics are down, and playoff implosion

Allen’s statistics in the regular season are down slightly in 2022-23 and it showed in games. The two stats to look at are his points per game, which are down from 16.1 to 14.3, and yes with Donovan Mitchell being added, and Mobley needing the ball more, it is understandable that his points are down.  Rebounding is also down from 10.8 to 9.8 and I thought that really showed down the stretch as Allen was having trouble against good competition.  

For example against the Celtics in two games played in March, Allen failed to get double digits in rebounds and points in either game.   I remember being alarmed at the game on March 6th in Cleveland in particular, he just looked very poor in that game and for Allen not to have double digits in rebounds or points for a game that went to OT was odd.

And then we get to the playoffs and what was happening on the floor in March against the better teams in the league, got exposed by the Knicks.  He only averaged 9.4 PPG and 7.4 rebounds while averaging 38 minutes per game.  How Allen was not able to get double digits in either category while playing 38 minutes is flat-out awful.  AWFUL!  The Knicks controlled the boards late in games and Allen looked weak and tired by the final horn as he was constantly beaten to rebounds.  

I applaud Allen for taking responsibility for his poor showing and hopefully, this offseason will prepare him to do better if and when the Cavs make it back to the playoffs, he frankly can not do much worse in regards to the postseason. 

3 – Allen and Mobley 

There’s a lot of focus that goes into the dynamic of Mitchell and Darius Garland playing together on the floor and rightly so, but I am more focused on the Allen and Evan Mobley dynamic.  Do they make a good pair on the floor?

For all of 2021-22 and the first half of last season, it is a resounding yes.  They complimented each other nicely on defense and created a wall in the paint that made it very hard for the opposing offense to score.  Offensively they did a good job of interchanging who would be the focus on offense in the paint and protected the rim giving second chances to the offense through rebounding. 

From mid-January 2023 through the end of the season, Mobley grew as a defender, becoming an elite defensive presence while also growing his offensive game.  

As Mobley ascended on both ends of the floor, Allen was starting to see a decline in points and rebounds in March and April (PPG March 11.6 and April 10.6, REB March 10.1 and April 6.7).

Mobley started to see more time without Allen on the floor in the later part of the year and the numbers explained why.  Next season, seeing more of Mobley without Allen is a real possibility and that is a drastic change from how the season started. 

Overall

The decision on how to handle Jarrett Allen next season is critical for the Cavaliers. What seemed to be unthinkable is now a possible reality as the Cavs should think about trading Allen.  I hate to even think of it because he is such a good guy and has done a lot of good for the organization, but truthfully I don’t know if Allen is going to help the club as he has previously. 

Maybe Allen figures it out, gets bigger and stronger inside, and the Cavs’ “Twin Towers” becomes a force again with Allen and Evan Moblely.  Allen becomes an elite defender, does a better job of defending the glass, and gets extra possessions for his teammates.

The decision on what to do or how Jarrett Allen performs next season, as it is likely he will be back, is so important to the success of the Cavs.