Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen has a strong message for those that doubted whether or not he and Evan Mobley could coexist in the same frontcourt for the Cavs.
"There was a lot of questions on whether two big men could work in the modern NBA. … I think we proved everybody wrong." 😤
Jarrett Allen with @malika_andrews on the Cavs' record 31-4 start to their season 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MLFPQBWYaP
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 7, 2025
“I feel like every single year it gets better,” Allen said of his partnership with Mobley in the Cavs’ frontcourt. “I feel like when he was first drafted, there was a lot of questions on whether two big men can work in the modern NBA. But, at this point, I think we proved everybody wrong. We are winning games. Evan’s having a career year. You can see our win streak going. We’re on a record streak right now. I think it’s all working out.”
The Cavs are off to an insane start this season, winning 31 of their first 35 games to take control of the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland currently has a 5.5-game lead on the No. 2-seeded Boston Celtics, and it is just ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder (30-5) for the best record in the NBA.
Both Allen and Mobley have been integral parts of the Cavs’ fast start.
Allen, a one-time All-Star, is averaging 13.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steal and 0.9 blocks per game this season while shooting 69.6 percent from the field. While the big man is averaging less points per game than each of the last three seasons, he’s also taking less shots (just 8.2 per game).
By taking a slightly smaller role in the Cavs offense, Allen has helped Mobley blossom as a scorer in his fourth NBA season.
The No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Mobley is averaging a career-high 18.8 points per game while taking the most shots (12.7 per game) and 3-point attempts (2.8 per game) of his NBA career.
Mobley is shooting an impressive 41.8 percent from beyond the arc, and he’s also chipping in 8.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.5 blocks per game for the Cavs. Cleveland extended Mobley’s contract this past offseason, and it has to be happy with how the 23-year-old has developed his game from the 2023-24 campaign.
While Allen and Mobley aren’t similar to many frontcourt pairings in the NBA, they’ve helped the Cavs play like title contenders to open this season.
Cleveland will put its current 10-game winning streak to the test on Wednesday, Jan. 8 against the Thunder. That matchup is set to tip off at 7 p.m. EST from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.
