CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – For weeks the Cavaliers have been making the case for Jarrett Allen to be named an All-Star.
Monday afternoon NBA commissioner Adam Silver finally made Allen an All-Star.
Allen will replace injured 76ers guard James Harden Silver announced Monday afternoon giving the Cavs two All-Stars in Allen and guard Darius Garland. Garland was drafted by LeBron James and Silver assigned Allen to Team James for the game.
Earlier in the day following their practice, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and forward Kevin Love campaigned for Allen once again.
“If he’s not [named] it will be truly disappointing,” Bickerstaff said. “I don’t know of anybody else, and I’m not knocking anyone else, and obviously I’m biased, but I don’t know of anybody who deserves it more. If you talk about valuing the things that we’re supposed to value as a league and highlighting that, it’s guys impact on winning and being high-character people and teammates. Because of Jarrett and what he’s done for this team, we are where we are right now in a competitive Eastern Conference.
“All he worries about is helping this basketball team win and contributes at a high level. There is no other replacement in my mind.”
Allen’s selection gives the Cavs two All-Stars for the first time since James and Love in 2018.
Silver is charged with naming injury replacements to the All-Star Game, which will be hosted by Cleveland at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Last week Silver chose hornets guard LaMelo Ball to replace Kevin Durant.
Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid were chosen as frontcourt starters while Jayson Tatum, Khris Middleton and Jimmy Butler were picked as reserves.
“He should have been named an All-Star reserve from the jump,” Love said. “But like Do [Rajon Rondo] and I told him, that doesn’t really matter how you get there. So, I really hope that he’s named if someone goes down or Harden’s not playing. He’s been so consistent for us. He’s been a leader in that respect, brings it every single night. Posts a double-double, shoots extremely well from the floor. Between him and Ev [Evan Mobley], they lock down our paint every single night. He’s one of those guys I love going to battle with, I’ve said it time and time again. He’s a guy that wants to get better. He’s a guy that wants to lead. It’s not easy in this league, it’s such a skill to play hard every single night and J.A. does that and he produces for us time and time again.”
Allen is averaging 16.2 points on 66.5% shooting from the field to go with 11.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 blocks per game this season for the upstart Cavs, who are third in the Eastern Conference at 35-22.