CLE 130, POR 111: Allen Grabs 17 Boards
Kwame Asante
Junior Accountant ยท Oklahoma City Thunder fan
Jarrett Allen Just Reminded Us Why Centers Matter: Cavaliers Demolish Trail Blazers 130-111
Right, so Jarrett Allen just put on a masterclass in what happens when a big man gets fed in the post. The Cavaliers walked into Portland and served up a 19-point beatdown, but the story here is Allen's absolute takeover. This wasn't a "nice game", this was a statement.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jarrett Allen | 96.0 | 85.9 | 40/17/5 | 14.0/8.0/2.0 | +26.0 |
| Craig Porter Jr. | 53.0 | 45.8 | 3/4/12 | 4.8/3.5/3.2 | -1.8 |
| Donovan Clingan | 43.0 | 41.9 | 8/12/5 | 11.1/11.1/2.0 | -3.1 |
| Donovan Mitchell | 37.0 | 33.5 | 14/0/9 | 28.8/4.6/5.8 | -14.8 |
| Caleb Love | 37.0 | 31.9 | 21/2/3 | 11.4/2.7/2.7 | +9.6 |
| Sam Merrill | 41.0 | 29.4 | 22/2/4 | 13.6/2.3/2.4 | +8.4 |
| Robert Williams III | 30.0 | 28.4 | 10/12/2 | 6.0/6.5/1.0 | +4.0 |
| Sidy Cissoko | 29.0 | 27.0 | 15/5/2 | 6.4/2.3/1.4 | +8.6 |
| Jaylon Tyson | 31.0 | 26.6 | 18/3/6 | 14.0/5.5/2.4 | +4.0 |
| Shaedon Sharpe | 19.0 | 22.9 | 20/2/3 | 21.8/4.5/2.7 | -1.8 |
The Allen Explosion Nobody Saw Coming
Jarrett Allen went absolutely nuclear. 40 points on 16-23 shooting (70% FG), 17 rebounds, and 85.9 Yahoo fantasy points. That's a +26.0 point swing from his season average of 14 PPG. He's currently at 84.9% ESPN ownership, which means most of your league has him, but if you don't, he's the definition of a hold tight.
The thing about Allen tonight was efficiency. He wasn't chucking. He was 8-12 from the line as well, meaning he got to the paint, he got fouled, and he finished. In 29 minutes. That's the scary part for Portland's defense and the encouraging part for anyone rostering him. This wasn't a game where he had to play 38 minutes to drop 40. He was that efficient in normal starter minutes.
The Midrange Heroes and Brad Stevens' Adjustment
Sam Merrill came off the bench and dropped 22 on 7-9 shooting, including 6 threes. That's a +8.4 from his season average. Caleb Love similarly caught fire with 21 points on 8-15, adding +9.6 over his normal scoring pace. These are role players who normally shoot 13-14 PPG, and they both got hot at the same time.
Donovan Mitchell though? That's the worry. 14 points on 6-15 shooting, a full 14.8 below his season average of 28.8 PPG. For an All-NBA First Team player, that's concerning. He did rack up 9 assists, so he was playmaking, but the scoring dip is real. Could be rust, could be Portland's defense actually having a decent game despite the blowout, could be one bad night. We'll see.
Portland's Bench Keeping Them Close (For A Bit)
Craig Porter Jr. had an unusual stat line: 3 points, 4 rebounds, 12 assists, and 5 steals in 27 minutes. That's 45.8 Yahoo FP on minimal scoring. For context, that -1.8 versus his season average shows he's a playmaker first, and tonight he actually ran the show. If he's a deep bench pickup in your league, you hold him for games where the Blazers need floor control. But this is a blowout, so it inflates his numbers.
Caleb Love, Sidy Cissoko, and Jaylon Tyson all beat their season averages, which tells you Portland was actually competing through three quarters. Donovan Clingan put up 8/12/5 with 4 blocks in just 26 minutes, meeting expectations (only -3.1 from his average). He's a rookie with legit two-way upside, but he's still in limited minutes.
The Real Story: Centers Are Back
Here's what nobody talks about enough, and Allen proved it tonight: when a center gets real usage and the team actually runs offense through them, they print fantasy points. Allen's 40 points weren't a fluke; they were the result of what happens when you have a 7-footer who can catch in traffic and convert 70% of his attempts.
For fantasy purposes, Allen is not a sell-high candidate just because of one game. But Merrill and Love are interesting. Both shot incredibly well. Both are bench pieces on a bad team. Merrill especially, at 29.4 Yahoo FP on a bench role, would normally be an add in 12-team leagues if he's on waivers. But don't chase hot shooting. These guys had one good game in a blowout.
Mitchell is the guy I'm watching next week. You don't drop an All-NBA player after one below-average game, but if it becomes two weeks of 15-20 PPG instead of his 28.8 average, the conversation changes.
Cavaliers looked locked in. Trail Blazers looked like a team that punched above its weight in garbage time. Fantasy-wise, Allen is the only one you're immediately acting on, and that's just to make sure he stays on your roster. Everyone else? Wait and see.