Cleveland Cavaliers big man Jarrett Allen opened up about the bone bruise that he suffered in preseason that caused him to miss the Cavs’ first five games of the 2023-24 season.
Allen shared that he was frustrated with the injury because it set back all the work that he put in during the offseason. Still, the Cavs big man has been able to play in the team’s last two games.
#Cavs big man Jarrett Allen told me he was frustrated with his bone bruise during preseason since it was a setback for all the work he put in the offseason.
Allen then said he was completely exhausted after playing the Pacers. But he did get his wind back against the Warriors.
— Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan) November 7, 2023
Allen was on the floor for 21:07 in the Cavs’ matchup with the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 3. He finished that game with 10 points, seven rebounds, one steal and two blocks while shooting 4-for-6 from the field.
The fact that Allen was exhausted after that game could be a reason why he wasn’t on the floor for as long as usual. During the 2022-23 season, Allen averaged 32.6 minutes per game for the Cavs.
In his second game of the season against the Golden State Warriors, Allen was able to be on the floor for almost 28 minutes (27:56). Cleveland ended up beating the Warriors by 11 points, and Allen finished the game with 12 points, nine rebounds and three assists while shooting 5-for-7 from the field.
It seems like the Cavs big man is starting to get his legs under him, and that’s a good sign for the Cavs going forward. The team is just 3-4 to start the season, but Cleveland has won two of its last three games, beating the New York Knicks and Warriors.
A huge part of the team’s defense because of his shot-blocking prowess, Allen should continue to see his minutes grow as the season progresses.
The 25-year-old averaged 14.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game for the Cavs in the 2022-23 season while shooting 64.4 percent from the field.
The Cavs and Allen are hoping to get back to the playoffs this season after they finished with the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference in the 2022-23 campaign.
A key for the team will be health, as Darius Garland and Allen have already missed time this season. The Cavs need those two players, as well as Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, to stay healthy to have a real shot to compete for a title this season.
Allen and the Cavs will be back in action on Wednesday, Nov. 8 when they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder for the second time this season.
The Thunder won the first meeting between the teams, but Allen and Garland were both inactive. Wednesday’s matchup is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. EST in Oklahoma City.
