Tag: jarrett allen

Here are the 4 NBA players coaching Basketball Without Borders Asia camp

Coby White, Jarrett Allen, Josh Green and Cam Johnson are coaches at the Basketball Without Borders camp in Australia.

Basketball Without Borders Asia began its 12th camp on Sunday, and four NBA players are helping coach the youth players during the four-day event.

Chicago Bulls guard Coby White, Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, Dallas Mavericks wing Josh Green and Phoenix Suns wing Cam Johnson traveled to Australia to help train 60 of the top male and female prospects throughout 15 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

There were 41 former Basketball Without Borders players who were on the 2021-22 opening-night roster, according to the NBA. Josh Giddey played at this same Asia camp in 2018, and Green, who was born in Australia, was a member of BWB Global in Los Angeles in 2018.

Basketball Without Borders is an international program hosted by the NBA and FIBA. Since its launch in 2001, there have been 64 camps in 30 countries with more than 3,800 participants haling from 133 countries and territories. There have been 105 former members of BWB who went on to play in the NBA or WNBA.

See the full roster of players on the NBA website.

LAYUP LINES: We are way too fixated on the future when it comes to the NBA

Enough about the future. Let’s focus on this weekend’s playoff picture.

Welcome to Layup Lines, our daily NBA newsletter where we’ll prep you for a tip-off of tonight’s action, from what to watch to bets to make. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every afternoon.

What’s good, family! Welcome to Layup Lines. It’s your boy Sykes here to lead you into tonight’s NBA action. But first a quick thought.

I know things have been this way for a while, but can we stop looking so far ahead into the future when it comes to the NBA?

ESPN’s Jay Williams did just that today when he made waves on the internet by saying LaMelo Ball is not long for Charlotte. He’s literally putting the kid on the Lakers already.

Never mind the fact that he’s just finished his 2nd season as an NBA player or the fact that there’s this whole restricted free agency thing that makes it all the more likely he’ll be in Charlotte until, at least, 2027.

Forget all that. The dude is just a Laker already.

This is a huge problem with NBA coverage. And it’s not just a Jay Williams thing or an ESPN thing. People everywhere are more obsessed with the transactions in the NBA than basketball itself. This is what Kevin Durant meant when he said NBA fans don’t like anything about the NBA last year— there’s plenty to talk about, but we never talk about it.

Instead of talking about Ball being the youngest player ever to make 200 3-pointers in a year, we’re shipping him to the Lakers.  Before Giannis Antetokounmpo re-signed with the Bucks and won a title, we shipped him to the Warriors. You get the drift by now.

We’re way too focused on the future with the NBA and what will come as opposed to what’s happening right now. We just had 4 awesome play-in games. We’ve had a historic MVP race. There are plenty of awesome playoff matchups to talk about.

And instead? LaMelo to the Lakers dominated the online conversation. We need to do better. Much, much, much better.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Don’t trick yourself when it comes to the Hawks vs. the Cavaliers tonight. We tend to get a bit too caught up in the regular season at times, my colleague Prince Grimes writes.

But the Hawks than the Cavaliers coming into the season. They certainly feel like the better team right now. Roll with that.

Atlanta has a bottom five defensive rating over the course of the season but ranks 11th in the last 15 games, better than the Cavs who are 24th in that time. Paired with a top 10 offense in that span, the Hawks have the league’s seventh-best net rating. As hard as it is to do, I’m ignoring what we’ve seen over the course of most of 82 games and taking the Hawks to ride this momentum and end up in the playoffs where they always belonged.

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

Clippers (-105) vs. Pelicans (-1.5, -115), O/U 215.5, 10 PM ET

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The play-in game out west is probably going to be the most interesting one tonight with Paul George missing time in the NBA’s health and safety protocol. The Pelicans looked dominant against the Spurs and CJ McCollum can’t miss right now. I’m going Pels -1.5 tonight.

Who’s in and out?

Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

— Paul George (health and safety protocols) is out for Friday night’s game against the Pelicans

—Jarrett Allen (finger) is probable for the Cavaliers for Friday’s game against the Hawks.

—Bogdan Bogdanovic (ankle) is questionable for the Hawks for Friday’s action against the Cavs.

—Luka Doncic (calf strain) will miss game one against the Jazz on Saturday and will be day-to-day after that game.

—Steph Curry (foot) says he’ll be ready to go for game 1 against the Nuggets.

Shootaround

(AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

—The Clippers and Pelicans game will determine how the Trail Blazers’ rebuild goes this summer, our Cole Huff writes.

—Joel Embiid has some advice for James Harden ahead of the playoffs, from Ky Carlin Sixers Wire. Advice for the playoffs never feels great.

—The Rockets G-League affiliate just won its 4th NBA G-League title which is pretty incredible,  per Ben DuBose of Rockets Wire.

—Brad Stevens just shut down the possibility of him coaching the Lakers, from Justin Quinn of Celtics Wire.

That’s all, folks! Have a great weekend.

Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. SeeTipico.com  for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).

Don’t let a long NBA season cause you to overthink the Hawks-Cavs play-in game

These teams are right back where they started.

Entering this NBA season, most people would have picked the Atlanta Hawks to finish higher in the standings than the Cleveland Cavaliers. I certainly would have.

The Hawks were flying into the year riding the high of a successful run to the conference finals. The Cavs were coming off a 22-win season and fourth straight year picking in the lottery. I wasn’t expecting the fruits of those picks to blossom for another year or two, especially after they lost 2018 first-round pick Collin Sexton just 11 games into the season.

But as the year progressed, it was clear the Hawks weren’t the same team that knocked off the Knicks and sent the 76ers into full-blown chaos after last year’s playoffs. And behind the progression of 2019 first-round pick Darius Garland and trade acquisition Jarrett Allen into All-Stars, the Cavs were a lot better than anyone anticipated.

Yet, as these teams enter Friday’s do-or-die play-in game for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, we’re right back at square one. The Hawks are road favorites by 2.5 points over the Cavs on Tipico Sportsbook. It’s been another swift about-face for both teams, almost as unexpected as the previous ones. And my advice for bettors is simply not to overthink it. We thought the Hawks, not the Cavs, would be in the playoffs entering the season. Roll with that.

The catalyst for Cleveland’s decline from top-four seed entering March to potentially missing the playoffs was an injury to Allen, who has been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game. If he returns and plays for the first time since March 6, I reserve the right to change my pick. But that’s how important he is to this team. Cleveland was just 7-11 down the stretch of the season without him and also lost its first play-in game to Brooklyn.

Atlanta on the other hand also lost a starting big, but that’s exactly when they began to take off. They went 11-5 to close the season without John Collins, who I would have assumed to be more important to his team’s success than Allen entering the year. That hasn’t been the case, however, and I just don’t think the Cavs will have enough defense without him to slow the Hawks — or enough offense to keep up.

Atlanta has a bottom five defensive rating over the course of the season but ranks 11th in the last 15 games, better than the Cavs who are 24th in that time. Paired with a top 10 offense in that span, the Hawks have the league’s seventh-best net rating. As hard as it is to do, I’m ignoring what we’ve seen over the course of most of 82 games and taking the Hawks to ride this momentum and end up in the playoffs where they always belonged.

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Jarrett Allen’s injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for the reeling Cavaliers

In just a few weeks, the Cavs have gone from third to sixth place.

The Cleveland Cavaliers announced Monday that All-Star center Jarrett Allen will miss time with a fractured finger. No timetable was set for his return, but an extended absence has the potential to cripple what has been a dream season for the Cavs.

Allen suffered the injury early in Cleveland’s game against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, a game the Cavs were fortunate to win as it gave them a three-game cushion over Toronto for the sixth seed. But it was also just their second win in the last eight games.

In less than a month, the Cavaliers have slipped from fighting for home-court advantage in the playoffs to one spot away from the play-in tournament. Now, they have to tread water without an integral part of their team, just the latest injury in a season full of them.

The Cavs’ first test without Allen will be Tuesday’s game against the Indiana Pacers, a team they should still be able to beat. The first of a three-game road trip, Cleveland is favored by 3.5 points on Tipico Sportsbook. Things get more difficult after that, however, with games against the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls. Then they go home to play the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets.

[tipico]

That’s a five-game stretch that includes three of East’s best, a playoff team in the West and another likely headed for the Western Conference play-in tournament. While the Cavs aren’t likely to be caught by the slumping Raptors, who also have a tough upcoming schedule, they won’t make up much ground on the teams ahead of them either. Not without Allen.

Allen is fourth in the NBA in win shares behind Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid, the three leaders in the MVP race. Of the eight games he’s missed this season, the Cavs won just two. Though he’s a pillar of their defensive interior, they also have likely rookie of the year Evan Mobley to help protect the paint. The drop-off without Allen has mostly been on the offensive end.

The Cavs have averaged four fewer points in games without Allen this season, and when he plays, their offensive rating is 3.8 points better with him on the floor. The combination of Allen and Mobley gives a dynamic playmaker like Darius Garland multiple lob options or players in the paint to drop the ball to when he’s coming off picks and driving into the lane.

Without Allen, the Cavs still like to play big with Kevin Love or Dean Wade flanking Mobley and Lauri Markannen, but the offense looks different, as those two typically play further away from the basket.

The Eastern Conference standings remain tight, with the Cavs still just three games behind the 76ers for second place, one game behind the fifth-place Boston Celtics. But without Allen, they’ll have to dig deep to make a move.

Despite being just 2.5 games behind the Milwaukee Bucks in the Central Division standings, the Cavs odds to win are now a distant third place at +750. The Bucks have -340 odds and the Chicago Bulls are second at +400.

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Jarrett Allen has a separate iPhone he uses just to join the Cavaliers’ group chat

Jarrett Allen doesn’t text blue with anyone else.

After earning a contract extension this past offseason, Cleveland Cavaliers big man Jarrett Allen got his first All-Star nod in 2021-22.

During his time at All-Star Weekend, the big man sat down with ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. When asked about his contract extension, Allen told Windhorst he doesn’t like to spend “just because it’s there” and that he much prefers to spend money on “the right thing.”

One example: Allen still uses an Android phone, not an iPhone. (Via ESPN):

“So it’s funny. I actually had to get an iPhone — I have an Android and an iPhone — just ’cause they wouldnt let me in the group text. Sometimes, they’d be like: ‘J, why weren’t you at the event last night?’ It’s like: ‘What event?’ I wasn’t in the group text because they want all blue messages.”

The big man said that he went for three and a half years before he “caved in” and decided to buy an iPhone just for the group chats with his teammates.

Windhorst told Allen that Milwaukee’s Brook Lopez takes a similar stance, but his consistent refusal to get an iPhone has kept him (and his twin brother Robin Lopez) out of communication with teammates.

But perhaps Allen’s willingness to get an iPhone, even if he just uses it as a burner to text with his teammates, helped him establish some chemistry with Darius Garland and Evan Mobley to win the 2022 NBA Skills Challenge.

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NBA Skills Challenge: Evan Mobley wins it for Cavs with half-court shot

Evan Mobley sank the half-court shot needed to send the Cavs to the title in the Skills Challenge on Saturday at All-Star Weekend.

Evan Mobley on Saturday drained the half-court shot needed to lead the Cavs to the win in the Skills Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend in Cleveland, Ohio.

Mobley and the Cavs, which included teammates Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland, defeated the Rooks in the fourth and final round. The two teams were tasked with shooting half-court shots to win and the player that hit it fastest won as Mobley drained it in 5.5 seconds.

The Cavs came out of the gate fast, winning the first round to collect 100 points in the scoring. Teams attempted to make shots from five different locations on the court ranging from 10-30 feet. Each spot was worth between 1-5 points.

In the second round, the Antetokounmpos, featuring brothers Giannis, Thanasis and Alex, topped the three teams in a passing drill for 100 points. Players had 30 seconds to make as many passes as possible into three, oversized moving targets.

The Rooks took the third round and 200-point prize as Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham and Josh Giddey recorded the fastest time in a full-court relay. The three first-year players posted a winning time of one minute, 18 seconds to set up a showdown with the Cavs in the final round.

Cunningham and the Rooks went first in the final round as each player launched shots from the half-court line. The No. 1 pick last year sank one shot in 9.9 seconds, which was eventually beaten by Mobley and the Cavs on their second attempt.

The Skills Challenge tipped off the festivities on Saturday night and continued a busy weekend for the Rooks and Cavs. The four rookies on the court each participated in the Rising Stars game on Friday while Allen and Garland will compete in the All-Star Game on Sunday.

The 3-Point and Slam Dunk Contests were to follow the Skills Challenge.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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The NBA’s best betting storylines at the All-Star Break

A resurgence from the Bulls and Cavs in the same year? Thank you, NBA.

We’re nearing the stretch run of the NBA calendar. Soon, legends will be made, and hearts will be broken–often at the same time.

But before we can reach the postseason and break down countless fun, intriguing matchups, everyone needs a little pause. An excellent breather to recuperate before complete chaos ensues. A short reprieve to understand what’s important before the greater NBA world has its collective Grand Eye focused on you and your successes and failures.

I’m referring, of course, to the All-Star Break, which is the unofficial signifier of the end of the NBA’s first half. Or, first two-thirds-ish? Something like that. You get the point.

Let’s reflect on the 66 percent of games that were and appreciate what “this league” gave us in storylines over the last four months.

All numbers courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook.

Jarrett Allen to replace James Harden for Team LeBron’s All-Star team

Jarrett Allen of the Cleveland Cavaliers will join Team LeBron for the 2022 NBA All-Star game.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver selected Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen as James Harden’s injury replacement for Team LeBron at the 2022 All-Star game.

Harden won’t be able to play due to a hamstring injury, so Team LeBron needed a replacement from the Eastern Conference to take his spot.

Allen joins teammate Darius Garland as the two members of the Cavaliers to make the All-Star game, and they’ll join LeBron to play in Cleveland.

The 23-year-old center is having an extremely productive season with the emerging Cavaliers. He’s averaging 16.2 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 66.5% from the field.

Allen is the only center in the reserves for Team LeBron.

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4 mind-blowing stats that illustrate why Jarrett Allen should replace James Harden as an All-Star

Injured 76ers guard James Harden will miss the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. Cavaliers big Jarrett Allen should replace him.

James Harden is now on the Philadelphia 76ers, though he will not represent the team at the upcoming 2022 NBA All-Star Game.

The honor of replacing him should go to none other than Cleveland Cavaliers big man Jarrett Allen, who the Brooklyn Nets included as part of a four-team deal in their initial pursuit of Harden in Jan. 2021.

Allen was one of the most interesting pieces that Brooklyn’s front office surrendered to land Harden just thirteen months ago. Already, however, Harden’s time with the Nets has come to an end. Allen’s time in Cleveland, meanwhile, appears to be just getting started.

Considering they were traded for each other, if Allen were to replace Harden, it would have fascinating implications. But we don’t just want to see Allen in the game because of the connection he has to Harden through the blockbuster trade.

When the initial roster was revealed, our own Cole Huff called Allen one of the biggest snubs excluded from the festivities. It’s worth noting that Huff’s other two snubs — Dejounte Murray and LaMelo Ball — were both selected by commissioner Adam Silver as injury replacements and both will play in the game.

Additionally, the NBA All-Star Game will be held in Cleveland at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Although the Cavs already have Darius Garland in the game, here some more reasons why Allen should get the nod as well:

Sixers react to Joel Embiid’s big dunk on Cavs big man Jarrett Allen

The Philadelphia 76ers react to Joel Embiid’s big dunk on Cleveland Cavaliers big man Jarrett Allen.

Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid had himself another normal Embiid-type of game. The big fella was scoring in a dominant way, he was putting in work in the post, and he was leading the Sixers to a big win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on a Saturday night.

There was one particular play where the big fella quite possibly had the dunk of the year. He missed a free throw and after Georges Niang grabbed the offensive rebound and Embiid took the pass and came rumbling down the lane and threw down a vicious dunk on Cavs big man Jarrett Allen.

“It’s up there,” said Embiid. “I’ve always dreamed about, watching Blake throwing the ball in the rim without even touching the rim back in the day, the ‘Lob City’. I always thought it was extremely exciting and I’ve always wished that I could do it, but obviously, they jump way higher than me. I saw the video, it was crazy and it was cool that I was finally able to make my dreams come true.”

This is just the latest example of the phenomenal things that Embiid has been doing as of late. The big fella has been something special to watch throughout the 2021-22 season and he has been doing things you don’t normally see a big man doing out there on the floor.

“I’m at a loss for words, now,” Tyrese Maxey added. “Some stuff he does when he gets the rebound and dribbles up the court, he did like a little CP3 fake pass that I saw today, it’s just amazing to see it. I’m just glad to be a part of it. I try not to take any of it for granted.”

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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