A reputation for being soft as an athlete is like getting an ugly tattoo. Both are difficult to remove.
Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen has a reputation of being soft in the playoffs. He was marked when the New York Knicks pushed him around in the 2023 Eastern Conference quarterfinals. Nothing from the last two years changed that perception
Allen suffered a broken rib in the quarterfinal series with the Orlando Magic in 2024, but the Cavaliers kept listing him as “questionable” with bruised ribs. That only enhanced the “soft’’ label when he missed the last three games with Orlando and all five against Boston. It was only after the Celtics knocked out the Cavs out of the playoffs that president of basketball operations Koby Altman revealed the severity of Allen’s injury. It was so painful, in fact, that Allen couldn’t raise his arms above his head. But the “soft” label stuck.
The Cavaliers were eliminated in five games by the Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals last year. Allen took pride in playing every game in the regular season. He played all four games against Miami when the Cavs swept the Heat in the quarterfinals and all five against the Pacers. But in Games 4 and 5, both losses, Allen totaled six rebounds and 11 points. He became invisible when the Cavs needed him most.
“I didn’t do enough,” Allen said simply in his interview after the Cavs were eliminated. “I just didn’t go get the ball in the last two games and it’s reflected in the stats.”
Publicly, at least, Coach Kenny Atkinson continues to defend Allen. It might be different when the doors are closed to the media while the Cavs practice, but to assume Atkinson turns snarly could be jumping to conclusions.
“First of all, I do think the criticism was unfair because he’s a heck of a player and a vital piece,” Atkinson said. “He’s part of our Core Four.
“I do think that was one of the offseason deep dives: How can we use him better? How can we take advantage of him when a team goes 5-out, whether it’s on the offensive end or defensive end? I’m not going to get into the specifics. But when you have a player that good and that talented, it’s on us as coaches to help him.”
Allen is getting another chance to fix his reputation. The regular season is just a preliminary to when the Cavs will be truly judged. They finished 64-18 to win the East last season. They are favored to finish first in the conference in the regular season again. Their stiffest competition in the playoffs is expected to come from the Knicks and Magic.
Allen has put the failures of the 2025 playoffs — not just his own, but those of the entire team — behind him. He has dealt with not meeting expectations three straight years, so he is accustomed to flushing the past and looking forward to the future.
“You just have to keep moving forward,” he said. “If you stop and sulk for too long, you’re going to be left behind.”
Allen averaged 13.5 points and 9.7 rebounds while averaging 28 minutes a game in the 2024-25 regular season.
Tristan Thompson, the backup center last year, is no longer on the team. Altman on Sept. 25, just five days before training camp began, signed 6-foot-10 center Thomas Bryant to play behind Allen.
Bryant was with the Heat at the start of the 2024-25 season. He was traded to the Pacers on Dec. 15. He totaled 14 points off the bench in Games 4 and 5 of the conference semifinals, outscoring Allen by three points despite totaling 20 minutes compared to Allen’s 50 minutes. Bryant totaled three rebounds in the two games.
Jarrett Allen answers questions during Cavaliers media day Sept. 29. (Tim Phillis – For The News-Herald)