Jarrett Allen believes Cavs are more than just a young team: ‘We came in and made an impact on the league’

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ work is far from done this season, but in the eyes of Jarrett Allen, the squad has already made an impact on the league in the 2022-23 campaign.

The way Allen sees it, the Cavs are more than just a “young team.”

“[Outsiders] looked at us as a young team, and you don’t expect a lot from a young team,” Allen told ESPN before Wednesday’s game. “You expect them to come in and try to figure themselves out.

“But I feel like we came in and made an impact on the league.”

It has been a memorable season for the Cavs so far. For a second consecutive year, they’re battling for playoff positioning down the stretch of the regular season.

The difference this season is that the team has its most talented roster in years. If the playoffs started today, Cleveland would find itself as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference with a chance to win a playoff series for the first time since 2018.

Cavs fans certainly remember how things ended in the 2021-22 campaign. Although it was a special season for the organization, injuries pushed Cleveland into the play-in tournament, where the squad was unable to earn a playoff bid.

Barring a major collapse this season, the Cavs aren’t going to have to worry about the play-in tournament next month. Instead, they’ll likely be getting ready for their first-round playoff matchup when the play-in tourney takes place.

Allen has certainly played a major role in Cleveland’s success this season. He’s averaging 14.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game while shooting 65.2 percent from the field.

The 24-year-old surely has bigger things on his mind than his per-game averages, but if he can get his rebounding average to double digits, he’ll be on track to average a double-double for the third time in his career.

The Cavs are 39-26 on the season and still have a chance to accomplish some big things, including reaching 50 wins. Cleveland may or may not make a lengthy run in the playoffs this season, but even if the team were to take a quick exit, there’s no doubt that the experience would be invaluable for such a young group.

Next up for the Wine and Gold is a Saturday matchup against the Detroit Pistons.