Rookie Tales: Jarrett Allen

Not all head coaches do well with rookies. How was Kenny with you as a youngster? 

Allen: I thought he was excellent. I mean, he hasn't changed at all in terms of his development, developing young guys. I mean, he's even better now. But back then, had me in the gym working on fundamentals every day. He wanted to build a foundation to be able to build a house. 

For some rookies, the culture shock of being in New York is a lot. As a naturally inquisitive guy, how did you handle Brooklyn as a rookie? 

Allen: It was a lot, because I tried to take in all of New York. But once I realized I had my own neighborhood – I had the Whole Foods literally walking distance, you know, I had all the neighborhood restaurants. I would go there, get to know the owner. They’d give me free appetizers. There were block parties everywhere. 

Once I started to realize I had my own neighborhood, my own community, it was so much easier to adapt to New York.

How did that rookie season shape you for the rest of your career? 

Allen: You know, when you start out winning 28 games, you learn to work, how to go into the gym and get your work in. Because you're probably not gonna statistically win the game. 

So, that just helped build my work ethic, to be able to come into the summer and know that there's so much more than just going on the court and playing basketball. 

That year’s Nets team had a lot of familiar names to Cavs fans: Caris LeVert, Tyler Zeller, Bret Brielmayer, Joe Harris … 

Allen: Oh, yeah! Joey Buckets! That’s my guy. 

… and of course, the one-and-only Timofey Mozgov. How did you get along with big Timo? 

Allen: Aww, man. Mozzie was incredible! 

My favorite story with Timo is when I started playing more, and then I started starting over him. He came up to me and said: ‘You know, Jarett, I'm a vet, and you're taking my minutes. I could be mean to you, but I like you. So, I want to support you.’ And I'm like, Wow, this is such a great guy! 

And sometimes he would take me after practice to work on post moves. He was just so open to helping me improve my game, even knowing that it might be a detriment to his own career. 

Was there a veteran on that team who took you under his wing? 

Allen: Know who helped me a lot? It was Jeremy Lin.

We didn’t play together that long, only about four months. But he was, like, actually my neighbor, you know? He literally lived in the apartment next door. And he would invite me over. You know, he had cookouts with his family, and they were always open to having me there. 

And the other guy was Tyler Zeller. I sat next to him on the plane, and we would just tell me how the league works. You know, sometimes you're gonna have bad games, sometimes you're gonna struggle, but that's just part of the journey and you have to embrace it. He was an incredible teammate.

Did the vets put you through any type of rookie initiation? 

Allen: I had to carry a speaker for like a month, which wasn't bad. And then I had to wear the pink JoJo Siwa backpack. 

But Kenny is not a fan of rookie hazing. So, he shut that down pretty quickly. 

Is there any initiation for this year’s Cavs rookie class? 

Allen: Well, we make them get donuts before every game – Krispy Kreme. It’s nothing.

In fact, half the time you see the DoorDash sticker on it. It's a new generation. You know, new technology. 

Feel free to check the stats yourself, but as far as Cavs.com is concerned, Jarrett Allen is, pound-for-pound, the nicest dude in the NBA. 

The Brooklyn Nets – who the Cavs welcomed on Saturday – knew how nice J.A. was, but they traded him to Cleveland anyway. 

That four-team deal took place back on January 16 – with the Wine & Gold acquiring Allen in a four-team trade, essentially dealing Dante Exum, a 2022 first rounder (who turned out to be MarJon Beauchamp) and a 2024 second rounder (Tristen Newton) for Allen, a 2022 NBA All-Star and the team’s most tenured player.

And all J.A. has done since his arrival is climb into the franchise’s top 10 in blocks (8^th, 434), offensive boards (1,177), defensive boards (2,689) and overall rebounds (3,866). He’s one double-double away from 250 for his career. And at .653, the 28-year-old big man has the highest shooting percentage in Cavaliers team history.

Before Jarrett brought his talents to Cleveland, he played his first three-and-a-half pro seasons with the Nets after being drafted with the 22^nd overall pick in 2017 out of Texas. J.A. was good as a rookie – averaging in 8.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in 70 appearances – but the Nets were woeful, winning just 28 games and pulling up last in the Atlantic Division. 

Now a 10-year veteran, Allen took a moment to look back on the ups and downs of his freshman year with Kenny Atkinson’s Nets in today’s installment of Rookie Tales …  

What was Kenny Atkinson like back when you were a rookie, and how has he changed? 

Jarrett Allen: Kenny was a lot more … How do I put it? … Energetic and outspoken. 

I mean, you see him now. He’s calmed down a lot since he came here. But, back then, that's a young coach coming into the league trying to make sure everything was perfect for a team that was rebuilding. That's what I came into the league knowing, so I thought that was normal. But we did fine with Kenny.