Cavs Concerned Jarrett Allen to Miss Time With Eye Injury

It appears center Jarrett Allen could miss time with a right eye injury sustained in Friday’s loss to the Heat, sources told Hoops Wire.

The extent of the injury or how much time Allen might miss has not been determined.

Allen went down late in the game while battling for a rebound off a Ricky Rubio missed shot, with Heat center Bam Adebayo swiping down and accidentally poking Allen. 

“His eye got pretty messed up,” Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com quoted a source as saying.

Allen, 24, is averaging 14.4 points, 9.8 rebounds and shooting 65 percent from the field. He has appeared in 62 games and most of all, serves as Cleveland’s defensive anchor.

This brings back memories of last season, when Allen missed the final 18 games with an injury, the Cavs struggling mightily in his absence and dropping both play-in games to miss the playoffs.

They are in a better position at this stage this season, sitting in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a record 42-27, just two wins off last season with 13 to go.

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff did not have an update on the severity of Allen’s injury immediately after the game, as he said he had yet to see Allen at the time.

“Obviously, we would miss him,” Bickerstaff told Fedor. “We would miss all the things that he brings on both sides of the court. His ability to protect the paint, anchor our defense and just his spirit. Everyone would have to step up. A lot of that would put Evan at more of the 5 spot and he would have to take over those responsibilities.

“But we believe (Evan Mobley) is capable of doing so and we have other guys who can help as well. It’ll be opportunities for other guys to go and contribute, which is what they will want to do.”

We will update any news once it becomes available, but for now, Cavs fans are holding their breath that this will not be an injury that keeps Allen out for long. 

Aaron Conrad contributed to this story. More from Aaron.