"Black History Month Jarrett Allen" is dominating the NBA
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
BHM JA is peak JA. Photo: David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images
Cavs center Jarrett Allen has assembled one of the most impressive statistical resumes across a calendar month in NBA history.
Why it matters: "Black History Month Jarrett Allen," so dubbed by his teammates, is a far cry from the wilting playoff Allen for whom the lights were once too bright.
- He should be the frontrunner for the NBA's Player of the Month honors.
What they're saying: "As soon as JA put that Black History Month shirt on ... he just flipped," Donovan Mitchell said in a postgame interview this week.
By the numbers: Through 10 games, Allen has averaged 22 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks, all while shooting an eye-popping 73% from the field.
- No player in NBA history has come close to sustaining those numbers across a full season.
Zoom in: Allen kicked off the month with a monster 40-point, 17-rebound, 5-assist, 4-block performance against Portland.
- Those thresholds have only been reached eight times in a single NBA game ever, and only twice since Shaquille O'Neal did it in 2001.
Between the lines: Allen's efficiency around the basket is what makes him such a statistical outlier.
- His raw production this season is ho-hum for a starting big — 15 points, 8.6 rebounds per game.
- But only eight other players in NBA history have achieved those numbers while shooting 63.3%, Allen's mark for the season.
Context: Two factors have contributed to Allen's recent explosion.
- Evan Mobley has been sidelined with a calf strain and was on a minutes restriction in the three games he's played this month. That made Allen the go-to big man on offense and the primary force on the defensive glass.
- James Harden arrived via trade. His elite passing has set Allen up for easy buckets and highlight-reel dunks on a nightly basis.
The big picture: Allen becomes more confident as he's more engaged, and he has never looked more dominant in a Cavs uniform.
What we're watching: Can he maintain this level of activity on both ends of the floor — even if the stats decline — as Mobley returns to the starting lineup?