The Cleveland Cavaliers have been on fire over the past few weeks. James Harden’s arrival has helped them succeed, as they have a floor general who makes everyone better. Of course, Darius Garland was the same, but his injuries and inconsistency became too unreliable for Cleveland.
With Harden now taking charge, he has been focused on getting everyone involved. One of the players who has benefited the most from his presence is Jarrett Allen. They are perfect fits together, and coincidentally, Allen is playing extremely well, but he wants more credit for himself.
Allen knows he has been playing his best basketball recently
Allen loves that the Cavaliers are thriving recently, which dates back to before the trade between the Cavs and the Los Angeles Clippers. Of course, most people will point out that Harden has been the catalyst, but their recent nine-game winning streak started without Harden.
However, Allen does admit that he is playing really well recently because he is putting up the numbers. Not only is he thriving in the paint with his rebounding and defense, but he is also being impactful on offense.
His offensive potential is even better with Harden in the fold. Garland was a decent playmaker, but head coach Kenny Atkinson had to always remind him to feed the big. For Harden, that comes second nature, as he has built a natural rapport with almost every big man he has played alongside in his career.
Allen is pleased to be in people’s good graces because he is putting up solid numbers. Moving forward, the Cavaliers will continue to rely on him and Evan Mobley in their superb frontcourt.
“Probably yeah. Numbers don’t lie. I’m just doing everything to the best of my ability. Obviously, Harden elevated my game, but I was striving to play well even before he came. Now, he came, and he elevated my game,” Allen said about his recent growth as a player.
With Harden’s ability to take charge of the pick-and-roll, Allen is in a good spot with the Cavs. He is ready to keep fighting in the paint, but his pick-and-roll partnership with Harden will be a primary weapon that Cleveland will keep using alongside having Donovan Mitchell take over on offense.