Cavaliers
Jarrett Allen believes the Cavaliers can take another step by getting their best players more time on the court together.
Entering his 10th NBA season, Allen pointed to the limited experience he, Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden had as a group last season. In a Q&A with Cyro Asseo of HoopsHype, Allen said building that familiarity could help Cleveland reach the Finals.
“I saw a stat that Evan, Donovan, James and I only played a hundred or so minutes together last year,” Allen said. “It’s insane to think about how little time that is across 82 games, or the 30 or so games James had been here.”
A full season with Harden should give the Cavs more opportunities to work through the details, provided they can stay healthy. Allen sees that continuity as a way to address the gaps that become more costly in the playoffs.
“If we get that experience together, make sure everything runs smoothly and fill in all the cracks, I think that’s it,” he said.
Celtics
Paul George says joining the Celtics has helped him rediscover some of his enthusiasm for basketball.
George acknowledged that criticism, including comments from former players, has bothered him at times. But he told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe that his new surroundings have given him a fresh outlook.
“For me, it’s refreshing. Hopefully, I can remain healthy,” George said. “I think I became a journeyman along the way [of my career]. At this point, I would love to be able to call Boston home.”
The Celtics acquired George from the Sixers over the summer in the Jaylen Brown trade. Now entering his 17th season, the nine-time All-Star is trying to establish some consistency after appearing in just 78 regular-season games over the past two years.
Injuries accounted for part of that absence, along with a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s drug policy. George said the banned substance was taken for a mental health issue.
Either way, he’s encouraged by how quickly he has connected with his new teammates.
“I’m fully immersing myself into this organization with the guys,” George said. “I’ve been more than happy. I’m ecstatic with being here, being around these guys, like they brought something else out of me that to be quite frank has been buried, and that’s just a different passion.”
Wizards
The Wizards haven’t determined whether AJ Dybantsa will be available for Wednesday’s opener.
The No. 1 overall pick is day-to-day with an ankle sprain suffered in Friday’s preseason finale, coach Brian Keefe said, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Asked specifically about Dybantsa’s availability for opening night, Keefe offered no commitment.
“We’re just going one day at a time,” he said.
That leaves Washington waiting to see whether its prized rookie can make his regular-season debut as scheduled.
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