CLEVELAND — Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson had grown accustomed to missing out on Jarrett Allen’s pregame fist-bump ritual.
As Allen did his thing to greet Cavs staffers, assistant coach Johnnie Bryant jogged Atkinson’s memory by exclaiming, “JA!” In an apparent state of shock, Atkinson jumped out of his chair and welcomed Allen back with an enthusiastic hug bordering on a tackle.
“I forgot he was on the team,” Atkinson quipped later.
After the Cavs blew out the Miami Heat 149-128 on March 27 at Rocket Arena, Atkinson concluded Cleveland’s “spirit was better” with Allen back. The big man had missed 10 consecutive games with right knee tendonitis, reaffirming just how valuable he is to the Cavs.
Allen is not the Cavs’ MVP. It’s clearly All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. And Allen isn’t the Cavs’ best defender. It’s forward Evan Mobley, the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
But Allen is the heartbeat of the Cavs (46-28), and their defense needed resuscitated without him.
In Allen’s first game back, he produced a double-double (18 points on 8-of-10 shooting and 10 rebounds in 18 minutes). He also restored Cleveland’s defensive security blanket.
After Allen’s coach remembered he exists, Allen made a hook shot during the game’s first possession, setting the tone for his first real action since March 3.
“Shout-out to Kenny,” Allen said. “He drew up the first play for me. It was incredible. I usually don’t get the first play. But he wanted to get me going. He wanted to get me back in the groove.”
This NBA-Finals-or-bust version of the Cavs must have Allen at his best.
Allen said he has dealt with “tendonitis all of my career,” but his recent struggles with it proved to last longer than he anticipated.
The Cavs were wise to give Allen adequate time to get right. They need him to be healthy in the playoffs, which will begin April 18. Atkinson ripped the Cavs on March 24 because their defensive performance in a 136-131 win over the Orlando Magic and other recent games frustrated him. Allen heard the message and knows he can make a difference.
“People look at me for being the defensive stopper, protecting the rim, just being the communicator on the defensive end,” Allen said. “And it just seemed like we were lacking sometimes on the defensive end when I was out, so I came back and made an emphasis to try to help out.”
Allen creates a ripple effect for the Cavs on the defensive end of the floor. His teammates know they can defend differently on the perimeter when he’s roaming the paint. They trust him.
“He’s also one of the most agile and athletic bigs in the NBA,” said Cavs small forward Max Strus, who scored a season-high and game-high 29 points in Allen’s return.
The Cavs have eight regular-season games left, so whether they will be able to adequately jell on the fly is a legitimate question.
Since the Cavs acquired point guard James Harden ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline, Allen, Mitchell, Mobley and Harden have played together in just four games. Harden seemed to be genuinely surprised by the fact when he heard it. Entering the Cavs’ most recent outing against the Heat (39-35), Allen, Mitchell, Mobley and Harden had logged merely 35 minutes together.
The Cavs have used 36 different starting lineups this season.
The lack of consistency is definitely a cause for concern as the postseason looms.
But the Cavs will have a better shot with Allen than they would without him. Fortunately, Allen’s coach has been reminded Allen is still on the team.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Jarrett Allen reminds Cavaliers how much they need him. Opinion
Reporting by Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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