A window could be opening for Jarrett Allen to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers' lineup.
Jarrett Allen will miss his ninth straight game on Tuesday night as the Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Orlando Magic, coming off a three-game road trip. The star center has been out for almost a full month with a knee injury. The last time Allen played in a game was on March 3 against the Detroit Pistons.
The team was calling Allen’s injury knee tendinitis, but didn’t have a clear picture or timeline for when he could be back on the floor, which was definitely concerning as the postseason was quickly approaching.
There’s good news on the injury front, though, as Cleveland’s head coach gave an encouraging update on Allen on Tuesday evening. Kenny Atkinson shared that a potential window for Allen’s return could be opening up over the next few games.
"He's ramped it up in the last few days; trending, trending positive,” said Atkinson. “I watched him yesterday on the court [with] contact. I think we're in that last stage of getting him ready. I could anticipate in the next couple games [a possible return]. That window.”
Apr 2, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) is introduced before the game between the Cavaliers and the New York Knicks at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesThis is the best news the Cavaliers could ask for as the calendar prepares to flip to April. Allen may not get enough recognition for what he means to this Cleveland team, but the Wine and Gold have certainly missed his rim protection and rebounding.
Allen was also playing some of his best basketball in a Cavaliers uniform and meshing very well next to the newest Cleveland guard, James Harden. In JA’s eight games after the All-Star Break and before the injury, he was averaging 18.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while shooting 63 percent from the floor.
Hopefully, Allen can pick up right where he left off once he is ready to make a return.
With Allen’s return seemingly upcoming, Jalyon Tyson not expected to be out too much longer, and Max Strus finally being back in the mix, the Cavaliers are closing in on being the healthiest they’ve been all year long.
It may be a little later than the team would’ve liked, with there only being 11 regular-season games left, but it’s better late than never to get everyone on the same page before the playoffs get underway, and that starts with getting Allen back on the floor.
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