Why the Cavaliers Need This Big Man To Have a Strong Season

The Cleveland Cavaliers upgraded their wing depth in a major way with the acquisition of Peyton Watson. And after coming off a breakout season in 2025-26, excitement for his inclusion into the starting five is not only palpable but also justified. That excitement rose to a fever pitch following his introductory press conference. That said, Cleveland would be unwise to forget about what helped paved the way to success during the 2025-26 postseason. Playing through their Bigs.

Yes indeed, for as much talent and potential Watson is bringing to the proverbial table, the Cavs must continue to get their big men involved. And as much as the idea of Evan Mobley functioning as an offensive hub, from the elbow or high post areas excites me, Jarrett Allen cannot be the forgotten man in 2026-27.

The Harden-Allen connection

James Harden has done many things throughout his time in the league. But if there is one thing he has consistently done year in and year out, no matter the team he’s suiting up, it’s elevating his frontcourt mates. From Clint Capela, and Ivica Zubac to Nic Claxton and even Joel Embiid, Harden has helped elevate his big men.

He did much the same with Jarrett Allen in limited action together last season. In 13 appearances alongside Harden, the Fro’ managed to post averages of 18.4 Points & 9.5 Rebounds, while completing 70.5% of his field goal attempts. In the 43 appearances without Harden on the court, Allen was averaging 14.4 Points & 8.2 Rebounds, while completing just 61.6% of his shots.

Not only was he attempting more shots, but he was also making a higher frequency of them. But the biggest overall impact felt was Allen’s involvement in the offense. He was simply factored into the occasion more from possession to possession.

That was most evident in the among of touches he was receiving before (35.8) and after (41.1) Harden’s arrival. Now, the number of touches per game received in the post season dwindled, which is ultimately played a role in why the Cavs struggled at times during their playoff run.

Keeping Allen involved

The reality is, with Peyton Watson in town, touches could be even harder for Allen to come by in certain lineups. That however, does not mean that he should be rendered an after thought. There are ways to consistently keep the big man involved in the offense moving forward. Especially as a rim-runner.

Cleveland is likely to stagger their stars heavily as they try to find the proper balance for each member of their starting five. The Harden/Allen pairing can be maximized in lineups in which Allen is the only big on the floor and the two are surrounded by shooters.

In lineups without Harden, Cleveland can make use of Allen's ability to pass from the elbow area, something we saw a great deal of during the 2023-24 season due to Mobley and former Cavalier Darius Garland's absences. He has solid vision and a great feel. Use him on more dribble hand-offs with the likes of Sam Merrill. Or opt for more big to big passing.

What a 3 man group pic.twitter.com/lMM0N2pWuE
— Mack Perry (@DevaronPerry) September 21, 2026

They could lean into his ability to knock down the midrange shot, a zone he's long been accurate within. There has even been rumblings of a potential perimeter shot being added to his arsenal thanks to a recent post on instragram that featured the Texas product hoisting triples. That would certainly be a way to keep in included and all reality, make him more playable in closing lineups at times.

At the end of the day, the acquisition of Peyton Watson might have changed the dynamic a bit, but it shouldn't alter what is still very much a strength of this team at its core. Feed Jarret Allen.

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