Cavs’ Jarrett Allen says knee still ‘not 100 percent’ as playoffs near

Jarrett Allen is back on the floor for the Cavaliers, but apparently, he’s not all the way back.

Allen missed 10 straight games in March with what team sources described as “severe” tendonitis in his right knee. He’s returned to the starting lineup in two of the past three games, though the issue hasn’t gone away, he told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com after Tuesday’s road loss to the Lakers.

“Definitely still sore out there. Definitely not 100 percent,” Allen said. “I’m not able to put a lot of pressure on my knee sometimes. Jumping and landing on the knee still hurts. Not as much as before, when I first got hurt, but still managing it and definitely still struggling with it.”

That’s about as honest as it gets.

Coach Kenny Atkinson has expressed optimism that Allen will be closer to full strength by the playoffs. 

“It just is what it is,” Atkinson said. “Can’t rush this thing. I have to really think big picture here. We have to think big picture. Have him ready to be at peak performance for the playoffs. We need to get that feedback from him. Play. Then get feedback. Play. Then get feedback. The direction wasn’t just let him jump in and start playing his normal minutes. That’s not it. Building towards, hopefully, his normal stint.

“We’re not there yet.”

Allen has some doubts about being back at full strength.

“I don’t know,” he said. “It’s just the truthful answer to that. Hopefully it gets better. I’ve gone through tendonitis all of my career. That’s just a big man’s thing you have to deal with. I think it is going to get better. We have been doing so much to make it get better — and it has — but I can’t answer that question.”

Allen certainly didn’t look bothered by the knee Tuesday, finishing with 18 points on 9-of-11 shooting. He was the Cavs’ lone bright spot.

So yes, there’s progress. But not certainty.

With the postseason around the corner, that second part is the one that matters most.