PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 04: Jarrett Allen #31 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dunks the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on March 4, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Cavaliers 125-119. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
After making his All-Star debut, Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen is now sidelined indefinitely with a fractured finger.
Jarrett Allen has proven that no matter the team, he is a young star in this league who can play at the All-Star level.
The 23-year-old center has had a busy past few months, as he unexpectedly made the 2022 NBA All-Star Team after James Harden was ruled out with injury.
Now Allen is grappling with his own injury, but it doesn’t seem like he is going to have the same spectacular return to the court as Harden has enjoyed. Allen is expected to be out for the remainder of the season with a fractured finger.
Cavs center Jarrett Allen expected to be out for the rest of the season
It’s a shame to see the Cavaliers lose a talent like Allen mid-season, especially since Allen is considered one of the NBA’s best players under the age of 25.
The Cavaliers do have phenomenal rookie Evan Mobley to play at center, but losing Allen is still a significant blow to the team. Through the 55 games he’s played, Allen has averaged 16.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. It’s why he was nominated as a replacement to the All-Star Team behind Harden, and it’s worth noting that Team LeBron did win that game with Allen.
One sports journalist went through the game tape to see when Allen may have injured his finger, and found a clip where Allen’s non-shooting hand bends backward as he jumps to block a shot.
If this is the moment when the injury occurred, it’s all the more frustrating that Allen shot his left hand up for no reason, as the block was already complete.
Losing Allen may not exclude the 37-27 Cavs from the playoffs, but it could make their run that much more difficult.