Being the unsung hero of the Cleveland Cavaliers has become Jarrett Allen’s thing, I guess. Allen never quite gets the recognition he deserves no matter how consistently impactful he is. In this year’s edition of NBA 2K, Allen ranks as the 59th-best player.

Allen enters the season as an 84 overall after finishing his last campaign at 86. It’s natural for players to have their ratings dip at the start of a new season. But this doesn’t make much sense for someone like Allen. He’s one of the most reliable bigs in the league, and he can be counted on each night to anchor a defense and dominate at the rim. His rating should reflect that year-to-year.

Consider this: Allen had the worst stretch of his career in a disastrous series against the New York Knicks in 2023. The result? He entered 2K24 with an 83 overall, just one short of where he stands in 2K25 after a career-best season in 2023-24.

Allen averaged a career-high in points (16.5) and assists (2.7) while shooting 63.4% from the floor and hauling in more than 10 boards per game. Allen did this while anchoring the 8th best defensive team in the league, missing their Defensive Player of the Year finalist (Evan Mobley) for a majority of the season.

The Cavs would not have survived the regular season had it not been for Allen stepping up. In fact, they wouldn’t have enjoyed a brilliant 18-2 stretch if it weren’t for Allen’s 17.9 points and 12.5 rebounds per game during that run.

Allen, who was a borderline All-Star last season, is barely cracking the top 60 in this year’s 2K. He ranks as the third-best Cavalier, assuming both Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell are going to be revealed later on the list. This is a tough pill for Allen who has a strong case as the second-best player on the roster since 2021 due to his consistent performances.

Alas, the virtual video game ratings don’t mean much in the grand scheme of things. The actual NBA season is roughly two months away and Allen will have every opportunity to improve his rating at that time.