Where does Cavs center Jarrett Allen rank on our list of The 40 Most Influential People in Cleveland Sports?

Posted by Admin October 4, 2024 Sports

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cavs center Jarrett Allen checks in at 22nd on The 40 Most Influential People in Cleveland Sports, our ranking of the people who currently wield the most influence over Cleveland’s sports happiness.

In this series, we are picking the top 40 athletes, front office personnel, owners, and even those who work on the periphery of sports, to see who does the most to shape the happiness of Cleveland sports fans.

The 40 Most Influential: See how we are determining the Top 40 and the full list so far.

Next up, the center of every heated Cavs roster debate.

No. 22. Cavs center Jarrett Allen

Cleveland called him too soft. Then he became its ironman. Fans wanted him traded. Now he’s too valuable. Jarrett Allen might hurt Evan Mobley’s development, but the Cavs envision both of them anchoring the franchise’s next championship.

Allen denotes the inflection point for most barroom Cavs debates. At 6-foot-9, 243 pounds, he’s always been undersized for his position. But our 22nd-ranked most influential sports figure inspires outsized opinions from our city’s hoops fans.

The side you choose depends on when the Cavs crack your TV rotation. Only watch during the playoffs? Then you saw the Knicks bully Allen in 2023 and saw him miss most of last season’s playoff run due to cracked ribs. Appointment viewer? You recognize Allen’s role in steadying Cleveland’s 2024 regular season after a rocky start. Then you highlight Allen’s 17-point, 14-rebound-per-game production during the first four games of last postseason.

What about the next eight, though? What should we think about Mobley’s mini-leap that occurred after Allen got hurt in the playoffs? What could Mobley do without another non-shooting big man cramping his space?

We can – and fans have – argued in circles. New Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson tutored Allen for two-plus years in Brooklyn, but Cleveland hired Atkinson to maximize Mobley. Can he do both? Can Allen compliment Mobley on a title contender? Or will fans once again enter next offseason shuffling Allen through the ESPN Trade Machine?

Pour another drink. Find another Allen stat that fits your argument for or against him. Then prepare yourself for another season of Cleveland’s most overcomplicated basketball conversation.

Allen isn’t tough enough, but he played 75 straight games last season. He should be traded, but the Cavs just gave him a three-year extension. He might be hurting Mobley’s development, but he’s definitely protecting Mobley from a big man’s beating.

He should stay or he should go. And if you love Cleveland basketball, you should have a strong opinion.