Getty Nets center Jarrett Allen at Barclays Center.
Cleveland Cavaliers big man Jarrett Allen was a major piece involved in the blockbuster trade that brought James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. The change of scenery hasn’t stopped Allen from performing at a high level.
Jarrett Allen Joins Elite Company
During Sunday’s matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Allen scored 26 points on a perfect 11/11 from the field, along with 17 rebounds and 3 blocks.
He joins an exclusive club with the likes of Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain, Karl Malone, and Bernard King as players to shoot 100% from the field while scoring more than 25 points.
Cleveland Wants Allen as Their Franchise Center
Many feel that with a league dominated by point guards and stretch fours, players like 2-time all-star Andre Drummond have somewhat fallen into the shadows. But recently, a young Cleveland Cavaliers team has found solace in their center, showing that the traditional five is still useful in today’s game.
Unfortunately, Drummond isn’t their guy. Allen has been putting on a terrific display ever since the trade. He is averaging a career-high 14.3 points per game so far and 1.7 blocks per game. “The ‘Fro” has almost instantly become the Cavs’ franchise center. According to ESPN, the organization feels that it would be unfair to limit Andre Drummond and would rather sit him.
“Sometimes you’re forced into difficult positions that’s not easy to navigate, but in respect to Dre and all that he’s done and accomplished and as much as he’s helped us, we thought this was the fairest thing to do for him,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said to ESPN before the Cavs match up with the Golden State Warriors earlier this month.
As for whether the 2016 All-NBA center will be traded or not, the team has not been able to comment on it.
Allen Understands Why Nets Traded Him
Allen’s rise to superstardom began at the beginning of the season with the Brooklyn Nets. Many around the league were not particularly pleased with the Nets’ decision to trade the young big man and many other young talents like Indiana’s Caris LeVert. While being traded by the team that drafted him was a tough pill to swallow Allen completely understands the decision.
“I would do it, I’m not going to lie”, Allen told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “If you look at the Lakers, they did the same thing. They went and got their ring. I would’ve loved to stay in Brooklyn, but I understand that an opportunity like that, you have to do it.”
The week that the trade went down, Allen would get his chance to show his vitality to a Brooklyn team vying for a championship, as the Nets played the Cavs twice. In an ironic turn of events, Allen and his new team would go on to beat the offensive prowess of Durant, Irving, and Harden in both games. Between the two games, he averaged 15.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
Allen Is Already Being Acknowledged By The Greats
Before the outrage over the trade, a lot of people were distraught over the fact that Allen wasn’t starting in Brooklyn over veteran big man DeAndre Jordan. One of those people was former NBA great Derrick Coleman.
“I don’t know why he’s not starting. And again, I think everybody’s trying to play small ball,” Coleman said via NetsDaily. “Everybody can’t do that. Golden State showed they were really capable of doing that because they had shooters. They had guys that could pick and pop and shoot the ball. I think you need a big guy in there just to be that presence on the defensive end of the floor and to be able to communicate.”
Moving on from a franchise talent like Allen had to be a tough decision for Brooklyn. However, sitting just a half-game back from the top spot in the Eastern Conference, it’s highly unlikely that they are having buyer’s remorse.
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