CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavs are finally home.
After just two games, Cleveland (1-1) has already seen two sides of itself that it wasn’t happy with. The disjointed version that lost to the Knicks in the season opener, and the one that built a 25-point lead in Brooklyn only to nearly give it back.
The Cavs come into Sunday’s home opener against the Milwaukee Bucks (6 p.m. ET) hoping a return to Rocket Arena gives them a different perspective, one of who they actually want to be.
And the matchups waiting for them bring back memories they’ve been trying to shake.
Jarrett Allen vs. Myles Turner
Former Indiana Pacer Myles Turner blocks the Cavs' Jarrett Allen's shot in the Eastern Conference semifinals.Getty Images
The ghost of Myles Turner
Myles Turner is the main name that could reopen an old wound for Cleveland.
In the 2025 Eastern Conference semifinals, Turner exposed Jarrett Allen. During the second quarter of Game 5, Turner sent an Allen dunk attempt flying, turning the Cavs’ center passive for the rest of the night, and ultimately, the series.
Allen’s confidence and energy cratered. And when the Pacers sensed blood, they hunted him. They forced him into the action off switches, outmuscled him under the rim, and broke Cleveland’s defensive structure it’s still trying to rebuild.
That game was a cruel reminder to fans of the dichotomy of Allen’s postseason history. A player capable of elite defense and interior dominance, undone by a counterpart willing to do more.
Now, Turner’s back — in new colors, with a new co-star in Giannis Antetokounmpo — and Allen’s mettle will be tested again.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Milwaukee Bucks
Basketball: Cleveland Cavaliers Jarrett Allen(31) and Evan Mobley (4) in action, high five each other vs Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum during the 2024-2025 regular season.Sports Illustrated via Getty Ima
A frontcourt reality check
The Cavs sent a message during Thursday’s practice between the Knicks and Nets games, after Allen’s no-show in New York made it feel like a flashback to 2023. And against the Nets, in the arena where he earned his first NBA minutes, Allen looked more like himself. Twenty-two points, eight rebounds, and effort plays that he’s known for on most nights.
He hit the floor for loose balls, met drivers at the rim, and drew praise from Kenny Atkinson and his teammates for his hustle.
But that was against Brooklyn, a team likely bound for the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The Bucks are bigger, sharper, and still led by a force of nature in Antetokounmpo. And with Turner now alongside him, they’ll stretch and smash the floor in equal measure — spacing Cleveland’s bigs on one end while testing their discipline and toughness on the other.
That makes Allen’s engagement non-negotiable. As it should be every night.
When he’s connected, he anchors the Cavs’ defense. Evan Mobley, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, relies on Allen. His presence allows Mobley to roam as a weak-side eraser, and it lets Cleveland’s perimeter defenders play more aggressively. When he’s not, everything collapses.
Myles Turner and Giannis Antetokounmpo team up
With Myles Turner now alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, they’ll stretch and smash the floor in equal measure — spacing Cleveland’s bigs on one end while testing their discipline and toughness on the other.Getty Images
The league is rapidly adapting
The Cavs are built around the idea that Allen and Mobley can coexist as an elite defensive tandem. In the fourth year of the Core Four, the organization has continuously vouched for the pairing.
Their success has even influenced roster construction around the league. Just look at Milwaukee.
After Damian Lillard’s Achilles tear — and two injury-riddled seasons proving that the Lillard-Antetokounmpo experiment wasn’t the formula for sustained success — Milwaukee stretched Lillard’s contract and sent him back to Portland. In doing so, the Bucks created room for a surprising but strategic addition: Turner. The move came from recognizing that Brook Lopez’s age and declining mobility had begun to limit his effectiveness at a championship level.
The Bucks understand that Antetokounmpo’s prime can no longer be spent on first-round exits, or they could risk losing their superstar. And that the modern NBA team benefits from a frontcourt constructed on mobility, spacing, and physicality in equal measure.
Milwaukee’s offseason moves were to complement Antetokounmpo but also made a statement about their thinking toward what wins now.
And with more and more teams leaning into this philosophy, Cleveland needs consistent validation against big, physical, playoff-caliber opponents.
That’s part of why the Cavs made offseason additions in Larry Nance Jr. and Thomas Bryant. They provide insurance for Allen and Mobley, particularly throughout the 82-game grind. Nance brings familiarity and versatility. Bryant offers shooting and muscle in short bursts. But neither changes the truth: this team still revolves around the Twin Towers.
Does Jarrett Allen have it in him?
Jarrett Allen roars during Round One of the Eastern Conference playoffsGetty Images
The heartbeat test
A stellar performance on Sunday won’t immediately shift the narrative surrounding Allen, but it’s a microcosm of what Cleveland needs him to do.
Stay engaged every possession. Put his body on the line. Anchor the defense. The key is doing all that without needing an offensive reward or praise from skeptics. His value isn’t measured in points every night but in his presence.
The Cavs’ defensive identity depends on it. Mobley’s growth depends on it. Their ceiling in the East depends on it.
It’s early — October, not May or June — but for Allen, this game should mean more. It’s about proving that one possession, one matchup, one memory from last spring doesn’t define him anymore.
Because for all the talk of spacing and playmaking and offensive wrinkles, Cleveland’s path forward is still built on its defense. And defense starts with energy and conviction.
Sunday night at Rocket Arena, we’ll see if Jarrett Allen still has more to give.
How to watch the Cavs: See how to watch the Cavs games with this handy game-by-game TV schedule.
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