The Cleveland Cavaliers have to hit the drawing board in the offseason.
Their decision to double down on this core worked in the regular season, but once again, they were exposed in the playoffs.
If this feels like deja vu, it’s because it was the same thing that happened last season, only worse because of the playoff seeding.
Notably, that’s why Ethan Sands of Cleveland.com believes it might be time to part ways with Jarrett Allen.
As good as he was in the regular season, he was a liability when the team needed him the most:
“Last summer, there were rumblings about [Jarrett Allen]’s future. Whether Allen was the piece that needed to change. Now? The question feels louder, especially with Evan Mobley’s continuous growth,” Sands wrote. “Allen may have played in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. But he wasn’t there. Not in the way Cleveland needed. And that absence, more than anything, might define his tenure in Wine and Gold.”
Allen was never a good fit against the Indiana Pacers.
Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner got the upper hand because of their mobility, and Allen isn’t efficient when you drive him away from the rim.
There were always questions about whether he could play next to Evan Mobley.
Mobley expanded his shooting range, and the two were a stellar defensive tandem in the regular season.
Still, the harsh truth is that they might not be a good fit for a team with championship-caliber aspirations.
The Cavs need to explore all their options.
Donovan Mitchell and Mobley should be off the table in any potential trade talks.
But as much as Kenny Atkinson loves Allen, and rightfully so, the writing seems to be on the wall.
He’s done a lot for this team, but at the end of the day, all that matters is winning in the playoffs.
NEXT: Analyst Reveals Major Concern About Evan Mobley In Game 5 Loss
