Jarrett Allen and the Cleveland Cavaliers are currently gearing up to begin the 2024-25 NBA, which is set to get underway in just three short weeks. Allen was forced to miss the Cavs’ second round loss to the Boston Celtics a year ago due to injury, but is hoping to help lead Cleveland back toward the top of the Eastern Conference standings this season.
This offseason, the Cavs restructured their coaching staff by firing JB Bickerstaff, who oversaw the team’s resurrection back into a playoff contender but had a questionable decision making process at times, and brought in veteran coach Kenny Atkinson. Atkinson recently added to his staff by bringing in former NBA wing DeMarre Carroll, who was most recently an assistant for the Los Angeles Lakers, and it just so happens that Allen and Carroll were teammates with the Brooklyn Nets in the late 2010s, a fact that Allen finds peculiar given their current situation.
“Jarrett Allen shared with me that it’s a little weird that DeMarre Carroll, someone he played with a few years ago on the court, is now one of his coaches,” reported Evan Dammarell on X, formerly Twitter.
In fact, not only did Allen and Carroll play together during their time with the Nets, but Atkinson was also their coach during that tenure as well. Atkinson was also an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks during their 60 win season in 2014-15, during which Carroll was the starting small forward.
What can the Cavs accomplish in 2024-25?
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At the current juncture, most pundits have the Cavs somewhere in the same tier as teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, and Miami Heat, a clear tier below the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference hierarchy.
Of course, not many expected that Donovan Mitchell would still be a member of the Cavs at this point in time, but the star shooting guard reaffirmed his commitment to the franchise by signing a long term extension with them this offseason.
The Cavs will be banking on the continued development of Darius Garland at the point guard position after he struggled through an injury-riddled year in 2023-24. This, combined with Allen’s steady presence and the ascension of Evan Mobley, should make the Cavs a tough out for anyone they might match up with in a potential playoff series.
In any case, Cleveland’s season is set to get underway on October 23 vs the Toronto Raptors.
