Jarrett Allen has become one of the most dominant inside defenders in the entire NBA. And he did it all with a distinct smile on his face.
With all due respect to Garrett Allen, but it doesn’t exactly evoke the sense of intimidation. The afro adds some soft, non-threatening curves to the angular frame. He’s built like Jack Skellington but smiles warmly by Tommy Pickles. It’s the closest thing in the NBA to Bob Ross, seriously. You just kind of want to give him a five or a hug, and then go have coffee and bread with him and talk about Dragon Ball Z.
Even Allen understands that intimidation isn’t really his thing. in 2018 Q&A with New York Post He said:
“Q: But you are like the least intimidating person I have ever met.
A: It’s not about being intimidated, it’s about not being able to score the ball (chuckle). That’s how I imagine it.Q: Your mind is on the playing field..Does it turn into a different person?
A: Not really, still me. I don’t like using that I turn into like a monster on the field or whatever, that’s not something to say. I became more focused.”
However, in a way, this grinning, stringy bean has perhaps become the most effective edge guard in the NBA.
Only six players defended more shots per game by six feet into the basket last season. Of the 200 players who defended at least 200 shots from a distance of six feet last season, Nobody allows a lower field goal percentage On those screenshots of Allen. He’s moved into the world of players whose presence is just an incredible deterrent. A tepid jump with his arm raised barely above his shoulder can force a shot into a wild launch angle.
Make no mistake, last year was a great defensive performance for Allen. He took a similar number of shots the previous season and allowed a field-defensive goal percentage Nearly five points. Although his actual mass has been slightly lower this season, the Cavs’ internal defense has been better and has a higher steal percentage.
Allen’s cohabitation with his more versatile front yard partner, Evan Mobley, is a big part of the story but it doesn’t just make him look good. The Cavs’ defense was about the same as when either player was anchoring the defense alone and the success of their partnership was driven by more than just Mobley’s mobility.
Allen became increasingly comfortable closing open spaces in the middle of the floor, disrupting shuffles and walkways and using its length to effectively close off to the perimeter.
Garrett Allen dominates defense without the jagged edges
Legendary defenders in the NBA often have an advantage around them. The sheer size of Mutombo Dickie and his sarcastic finger. Jaws and Consisting Decompression by Diamond Green and Gary Payton. Ben Wallace’s mean mug. Dennis Rodman the whole thing. Even the silent stoicism of Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard has been weaponised.
Defense is hard physical work done by charismatic villains and anti-heroes. The core business itself is hostile—blocks, distractions, turbulences, swallowing open spaces, implying that anything but a quick dip will be met with force. Defense isn’t supposed to be fun, and it’s not supposed to sound fun.
But there is Garrett Allen.
Go down softly in the projection coverage. Hedging on the screen with a hidden smile. Comical smile after a big lump, emotion without intention. Do not smile to intimidate, or to stand up, to inflate oneself or to grind an opponent. Just smiling because basketball is fun and Garrett Allen is good at basketball.
I don’t mean to obsess over his defense and miss half of what made him great last season. Ranked in 79th percentile in efficiency As a post-hit scorer, he benefits from duck-drowsing, dumping, and dramatically improved foot movement. And it became one of the league’s most efficient paint tools, with a combination of a soft touch and an increased dipping range. I mean, the guy did some damn posters last season.
But watch him run backwards in court in the clip above. There is no part of his reaction to the public or his opponents. He smiles only to himself, perhaps regurgitating the yam to himself in his head, as if he had to convince himself that he had just done so. You get the feeling that he enjoys it as much as we do.
And that sounds like the true beauty of Jarrett Allen. It’s integral to the success of Cavs like Evan Mobley or Darius Garland. He became a stifling defender and an offensive powerhouse in the middle of the coating. He plays beautiful basketball all over the court. But he doesn’t do that to anyone else.
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