Cavaliers Are Still Thin In The Frontcourt

Jarrett Allen's foot injury exposes one of the Cleveland Cavaliers' biggest weaknesses.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are a well-balanced team with a number of offensive threats and complimentary defensive pieces. They're projected to be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference this season which will hopefully translate to a deep playoff run. 

However, there is still one elephant in the room with the way the roster is currently constructed. That's the lack of frontcourt depth in Cleveland's rotation. 

This was something that was talked bout after the New York Knicks eliminated the Cavs in last year's playoffs and the front office tried to address it. 

They traded for Damian Jones, signed Georges Niang, and brought back Tristan Thompson which are all great pickups to have coming off the bench. But Jarrett Allen's recent foot injury proves that the Cavaliers are still thin in this department and need to look for an addition during the season.

The Cavs started Max Strus at the power forward and Evan Mobley at the center for Cleveland's first preseason game. In the second exhibition match, Jones got the start at the five with Thompson getting significant minutes off the bench.

Jones is currently averaging 4.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks and Thompson is averaging just 1.0 points and 3.5 rebounds through the first two preseason games. 

Yes, it's just the preseason so some of these lineups are simply experimental and we shouldn't read too deep into stats, but the scarcity of bigs is still apparent. These aren't ideal lineups to be starting and consistently running out once the regular season starts.

Oct 12, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) shoots over the defense of Cleveland Cavaliers center Damian Jones (30) during the first half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / © Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

This is a pivotal season for the Cavaliers as they've been set with high expectations and the uncertainty surrounding Donovan Mitchell's future. Cleveland is going to need to make sure there are no holes on the roster and not having another backup center in case more injuries arise is certainly something that needs to be addressed.