Cavs Offense Feeding Off Jarrett Allen's Creation

With opposing teams scrambling to fend off Jarrett Allen in the paint, the Cleveland Cavaliers have found ways to make him a distributor.

When the Cleveland Cavaliers lost two of their Core Four members in Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, it left them no choice but to fight with what they have. 

Jarrett Allen has answered the bell and then some. First, it was utter dominance as an interior scorer, which then opened up the floor for shooters. Now, the opposition is doing whatever it can to make sure he doesn't get those easy ones. 

In response, he has put on an impressive display of passing. In four of the last five games, JA has dished out at least six assists in addition to continuing his dominance inside on both ends. 

"If your big guy has the ball and he's lifted and they have to guard him away from the floor, now you've got two-sided action with guys who can create their own shot, who can move without the basketball," Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after Wednesday's blowout win over the Washington Wizards. 

"It just creates a dynamic where defenses are going to have a hard time making a decision, and then top it off with a big guy who can pass from those spots and now they're even more on their heels. So it allows you to diversify, but it allows you to just continue to grow and be dynamic."

Craig Porter Jr. dove into Allen's uptick in creating and why it's happening.

"As soon as he catches the ball, he's looking," Porter said. "First, we tell him to score the ball any time [he's] in the paint just because of how big he is and he just has that presence. 

"Lately, teams have been realizing we've been utilizing him a lot more and they just sink in on him and he's just making the right plays. We're rewarding him with those assists. He's been phenomenal man. I think it's been triple-double watch almost every game. That's crazy. "

Typically when a big man of Allen's nature gets those dimes, it's out of the short roll or in a crowded paint. However, during this last week-and-a-half, he's been playmaking above the break too. It's not just handoffs or off screening actions. There's been vision in all facets.

"He's not just a singular player," Bickerstaff said. "He's not just a lob threat or a roll threat. He's a very skilled basketball player. And you'll see his assist numbers keep going because he does have this skill set."

Allen, who put together a 17-point, 19-rebound, seven-assist performance, explained further.

"We've been playing the touch game more often, so instead of doing straight pick-and-rolls, they would pass it to me first and then I'll hand it off back to (Donovan Mitchell) or Max [Strus], or just hit 'em over the top for a cut. They have to respect the ability to pass now, so they have to drop back a little bit off of me and that leaves the pick-and-roll open when I hand it off to Don."

"It leaves everybody open. I feel like I have the ability to drive to the basket if they sink too far in, so they have to respect me driving and they have to respect the cutters, and that just leaves the game open for myself."

Jan 3, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) rebounds in the third quarter against the Washington Wizards at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Adjusting to the adjustments is a beautiful part of the chess game that is basketball, and Allen's already made his next move.

"I'm just trying to play with a lot more energy and effort for my guys. If I can create more shots for them, honestly that's more assists for me," Allen joked. "I'm just trying to get them more shots and just create more opportunities for everybody."