What Is Jarrett Allen’s Status For Cavs’ Season-Opener In Brooklyn?

Jarrett Allen has been getting post-practice work in for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but J.B. Bickerstaff is still being cautious about his return.

Will the Cleveland Cavaliers have Jarrett Allen for the team’s season opener on the road against the Brooklyn Nets? The answer doesn’t seem to be yes or no quite yet.

We know that the Cavs want to see Allen go through a full practice before putting him back on the floor, especially in a game setting. When asked whether or not he participated in Tuesday’s session, Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff responded, “I don’t know, that’s a good question,” with a wry smile.

It may be gamesmanship, or it may be having fun with the media. We do not have a definitive clear knowledge. But we have seen Allen getting light post-practice work in with coaches and teammates, and the same was true for Tuesday as he went through some drills on the block with a few assistant coaches.

Did Jarrett Allen practice today for the #Cavs?

J.B. Bickerstaff: “That’s a good question.”

Who knows what tomorrow looks like in Brooklyn, but here’s JA getting some work in after Tuesday’s session. pic.twitter.com/bPblLgHbNy

— Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) October 24, 2023

Bickerstaff confirmed that Allen has had no setbacks or concerns following reevaluation on Allen’s left ankle, so there’s a good sign. However, the Cavs head coach did not rule out the possibility that it could be a multi-game absence because of how the schedule is laid out.

“Our goal is always to do what’s most safe by our players and put ‘em in a position to be successful," Bickerstaff said. "It’s a long season. We just want to make sure that this is something where he’s comfortable coming back and it’s not one of those things where now you’re ping-ponging him back and forth because he’s uncomfortable or doesn’t feel like he got enough reps.

“It’s not the best because we know how valuable he is to us, but long-term, whatever decision we make, that’s what we’re going for.

Feb 11, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) shoots over the defense of Chicago Bulls center Andre Drummond (3) during the first half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

If Allen doesn’t play in Brooklyn, the Cavs will have little time to get Allen on the practice floor with three games in four nights ahead of them, plus some off days for recovery before next week’s slate.

We’ll see if Allen makes it onto the floor in time for the first game of the season against the Nets or if we’ll have to wait a little longer.