Jarrett Allen on Donovan Mitchell: 'This year he's making up more opportunities for everybody else'

Is your minutes restriction lifted? Jarrett Allen: It’s feeling great. Actually, I haven’t felt it anymore. All the time off really healed it. I was just trying to get back into my body again. I don’t really know to be honest with you, I’m pretty sure the minute restriction is at my regular playing time now. So I’m good to go playing normal now. It’s just getting my wind back at this point. How’s your conditioning going for you now? Do you feel like you’re at peak game shape form? Jarrett Allen: I feel about 90 percent out there. There’s still some stuff that I got to get used to in terms of just timing [or] whether it’s pick and rolls or just guarding somebody. But other than that, I feel like I’m close. -via HoopsHype / November 20, 2023

With Tristan back with your squad, what of his toughness has helped you and Mobley’s game? Can you maybe talk about a particular example? Jarrett Allen: He always preaches toughness. When I was playing in training camp or before the year started, he would always crash the boards, just trying to get us ready to battle during the game. So he’s just telling us just to be strong down there, always be ready to hit somebody and compete. He gives me pointers on the rebounds, where to hit certain people when they’re going up for a rebound to try to knock them off balance so you can get the rebound. Just little tidbits like that which go a long way. -via HoopsHype / November 20, 2023

Can you talk a bit about your Meals and Math Thanksgiving event you’re holding? I believe this is the seventh one you’re doing. Jarrett Allen: Yeah, it was the seventh one. So far we’ve been able to do it every year. We’ve had some complications with COVID, but it’s good we give the kids math packets to do in their own time. Just to try to help them with the math and then we give them $100 gift cards to go shopping with. Usually, wherever we do the shopping at they have to stay under $100 so they have to walk around with a calculator, making sure that they stay on their budget. We usually find kids that aren’t in the best situation. We look at certain academies. This year we worked with Open Doors Academy to get 25 kids through. -via HoopsHype / November 20, 2023

Mitchell is still averaging a career high in points (29.2) and shots (21.6), though four of his 10 games thus far were without at least two other usual starters on the court. “I think to this point, pretty consistently, you can see more of a flow to our offense, more guys who can move off the ball and create advantages that way and then, you know, finish at the end of it with either paint attacks or catch and shoot,” Bickerstaff said. “It’s too early to say it’s done. It’s something that you have to consistently do and create the identity of — that’s who you are.” -via The Athletic / November 20, 2023

Serena Winters: Caris LeVert is out tonight with left knee soreness. #Cavs starters: Darius Garland Max Strus Dean Wade Evan Mobley Jarrett Allen (Donovan Mitchell, Isaac Okoro and Ty Jerome remain out). -via Twitter @SerenaWinters / November 19, 2023

“I’m comfortable starting, coming off the bench, whatever,” LeVert told Fedor. “But I think for us this season, the goal was kind of to keep me in the same. Obviously, if Don and D.G. are out, I would probably start. But I think just for me in terms of getting my rhythm, we kind of discussed that it would be better for me to have one role — to come off the bench all season.” -via Cleveland Plain Dealer / November 18, 2023