Former All-Star Jarrett Allen says missing rebounds was crucial for Cavs quick playoff exit: ‘I feel like I let my team down in that sense’

After being crushed by the Knicks 4-1 in the first-round of the Eastern Conference playoff series, the Cleveland franchise is shopping to take a profound look into their team’s flaws to know exactly on what to work on this next offseason. 

As they lost their last game 106-95, it became very evident where they suffered most on the floor, and former All Star Jarrett Allen attended the press to admit he was outmuscled in general, though especially in rebounds.

“Even for me, the lights were brighter than expected.”

– Jarrett Allen on his playoff struggles

(Via @SpinDavies ) pic.twitter.com/f9ax5rUXkJ

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 27, 2023

Throughout the series, Cleveland was beaten 227-186 in rebounds, including 75-46 on the offensive side of the court. “We all know the elephant in the room — the Tyrannosaurus rex in the room — is the damn offensive rebounds,” Allen said at Cleveland Clinic Courts this past Thursday during season wrap-up interviews.

“That’s my job to get rebounds,” he owned up to it. “That’s my job to box people out, to make sure that they don’t get the rebound, and I feel like I let my team down in that sense.”

Even playing at home this Wednesday at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the 5th best seed in the East completely overpowered the 4th best seeded Cavs. Allen just won 4 rebounds throughout Game 5, as his rival center Mitchell Robinson grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds.

Robinson is “the best offensive rebounder in the league,” Allen admitted afterwards. “His positioning [sets him apart]. He’s stronger than he looks, and the man can touch the rim without jumping. He has a lot of length on his arms, and he’s excellent about how he uses all his abilities,” he said.

“Even for me, the lights were brighter than expected,” Allen said humbly, even though he was selected an All Star last campaign, after two playoff runs with the Brooklyn Nets.

His teammates agree that this series was an eye opener for the Cavaliers

The gap in physicality seems to be the common denominator between Cleveland’s judgement over both squads. “I don’t think you could adjust physicality. You just have to have it. You’ve got to have toughness. It’s a mental thing,” Isaac Okoro said.

Cavs backup point guard Ricky Rubio guaranteed his team didn’t give their “best effort” against New York. “We felt like we are a better team than the Knicks, but they beat us, so they’re a better team,” he said. “They beat us because they’re not more talented. They beat us because they wanted [it] more than us.”

For club star Donovan Mitchell, this postseason experience proved their younger teammates need to mature quicker for the seasons to come. “Sometimes you gotta touch the stove and you gotta get burned.

“You can’t let one series define you as a group or as a player or as an individual,” Mitchell said. “I think we have a special group that can do a lot of different things and continue to grow.”

“I think it’s also technique,” Allen almost forgot to say, as physicality wasn’t the only difference between both teams. “Those two things go hand in hand in terms of trying to get somebody off the offensive rebound. That’s going to be a goal for me this summer.”