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3 reasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ sudden resurgence

By Tony Pesta

CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 08: Kevin Love #0 Darius Garland #10 Ricky Rubio #3 Evan Mobley #4 and Cedi Osman #16 of the Cleveland Cavaliers joke during a timeout during the third quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on December 08, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Bulls 115-92. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 08: Kevin Love #0 Darius Garland #10 Ricky Rubio #3 Evan Mobley #4 and Cedi Osman #16 of the Cleveland Cavaliers joke during a timeout during the third quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on December 08, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Bulls 115-92. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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Cleveland Cavaliers (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Cleveland Cavaliers (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Reasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ sudden resurgence: Emerging All-Stars

The 2022 NBA All-Star Game is coming to Cleveland and it is looking like the Cleveland Cavaliers could have at least one player there to represent them.

Potential Cleveland Cavaliers All-Stars: 1. Jarrett Allen

At the top of the list has to be Jarrett Allen. The 23-year-old center has improved every facet of his game and has jumped up to near the top of the Eastern Conference frontcourt food chain.

Since winning the Player of the Week Award in November, Allen is averaging 19.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game. He has recorded a double-double in 14 of his last 17 games.

Most impressively, Allen is shooting a league-high 71.0 percent from the floor. This would make him the first player in NBA history to average 15+ points and 10+ rebounds while shooting above 70 percent.

Allen’s dexterity allows him to catch lob plays routinely, finishing 34 alley-oop plays this season. He’s also a much-improved post player, shooting 62.5 percent on post-up attempts.

Over his last 15 games, Allen has a combined plus/minus of +116. This is the highest of any center in the NBA, besides Rudy Gobert, who is at an absurd +184.

Counting all positions, Allen is 10th in plus/minus during this stretch while Darius Garland is in sixth place.

Potential Cleveland Cavaliers All-Stars: 2. Darius Garland

The keys to Cleveland’s offense were placed firmly in Darius Garland’s hands once Collin Sexton went out. It was up to Garland to keep the Cavs on track and he has exceeded every possible expectation thus far.

Garland is averaging 21.3 points and 7.3 assists in Sexton’s absence. He’s jacking up three-pointers at a career-high rate and had back-to-back games of 30+ points for the first time earlier in December.

His confidence is snowballing, with DG getting bolder each game. His creativity has caught opponents off guard, as Garland zips one-hand passes and lobs with ease. Not to mention, he is one of the shiftiest players in the league.

The biggest key to Garland’s breakout has been his ability to get into the paint. Seemingly lacking explosiveness in his first two seasons, Garland is compensating with his herky-jerky dribble style.

Garland is killing teams with his floaters and scoop layups. He’s shooting 64.4 percent around the rim, up by six percent since last year. DG is also connecting on 51.8 percent of his mid-range shots, which is a drastic improvement from just 39.3 percent.

This added dimension to his game has caused teams to respect his threat as a scorer, thus opening up opportunities for him to dazzle with lob passes to Allen. It all comes full circle.

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