When news broke that Darius Garland and Evan Mobley would be sidelined until early 2024, the Cleveland Cavaliers seemed down and out. Well, now the Cavs are riding a three-game winning streak and an 8-3 record without their star duo, the Cavs still might be down, but they're not out. Instead, Cleveland has been thriving and is primed to run the table once everyone is healthy and together on the court again.

Much of why the Cavs are in this position is due to Cleveland big man Jarrett Allen, who has been dominant – averaging 19.4 points, 13.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.1 steals in 32.1 minutes per game. Allen has been a catalyst for the Cavs' success on either end of the floor, carrying the team as much as his 7-foot-6 wingspan allows him to.

While it might be surprising for some to see Allen dominate, especially after how last postseason ended, it isn't shocking to his coaches or teammates. Instead, they believe it's time for Allen to be recognized for his play, especially when the NBA takes Indianapolis by storm in February.

“I'm hard-pressed to find a big guy who's playing better than Jarrett Allen,” said head coach JB Bickerstaff. “I think we all need to take a serious look at his All-Star accolades. Because I don't know many big guys, if any, that are playing better than him right now.”

Bickerstaff made these comments after Cleveland's dominant 114-90 win over the Washington Wizards, where Allen had 12 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. Sure, it wasn't as flashy as Allen putting up 17 points, 19 rebounds, seven assists, and two blocks in Cleveland's even more dominant 140-101 victory over the Wizards. But in either game or a similar effort against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, Allen was the key reason the Cavs are staying afloat despite not having arguably their two most important players on the floor.

“Rings to my ears. That sounds lovely to me,” Isaac Okoro said about Allen being named an All-Star. “I want to see him in Indiana. If he makes the All-Star team, I'll personally fly out there and sit courtside.”

When Okoro said that, Allen, whose locker is nearby, turned and smiled at his teammate. But then Okoro laughed and added, “Uh, don't hold me to that one. I might go back to Atlanta, not gonna lie.”

When asked about the moment, Allen joked, “Nothing will matter if Isaac's not there, honestly. All this work I'm putting in goes down the drain if Isaac's not there.”

“It'd be nice,” Allen continued. “Honestly, I know how things work out. I wasn't playing good for the whole season. I sat out at the beginning of it. So, I understand if I'm not and I understand if I am.”

In the middle of the conversation, a listening Donovan Mitchell wasn't satisfied with Allen's answer. He yelled from his seat, “Yes. And he will be.”

Regardless of his feelings, teammates and coaches have made it clear that the idea of Allen going to Indianapolis for the All-Star Game shouldn’t be up for debate, even though he’s quiet and reserved and won’t vocally push for a spot. Or, as Mitchell puts it, it's just Allen being politically correct, saying the right thing.

Instead of vocally making the case, Allen just lets his play speak for him, and the numbers don't lie. The Cavs should have two representatives on the court for NBA All-Star 2024.