As basketball grows in popularity worldwide, so will the pool of advanced analytics determining a player’s impact or a team’s overall talent level.
Cleveland Cavaliers center, Jarrett Allen, was a surprise name in the top ten of a new NBA impact metric from ESPN called “Net Points.”
This metric “uses play-by-play data to evaluate a player’s performance”.
Continue reading below to see every superstar’s standing in this new metric and other surprise names.
Further, find out why Allen ranks so highly in “Net Points” and why he could be the difference between an early playoff exit and a deep playoff run for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Net Points Top Ten
While the metric’s top ten includes most players any NBA fan would expect to be listed, including Nikola Jokic (first), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (second), Karl-Anthony Towns (third), Jayson Tatum (fourth), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (seventh), there are several eye-popping names.
The biggest surprises on the list are Allen (sixth), Alperen Sengun (fifth), Domantas Sabonis (eighth), and Jaren Jackson Jr (ninth).
Conversely, there are also some shocking omissions: Luka Doncic (17th), Kevin Durant (20th), Jalen Brunson (27th), Steph Curry (33rd), and Anthony Edwards (35th) are just a few of the superstars who have failed thus far to make the top-ten of the “Net Points” metric.
Another interesting note is that Sengun, a player deemed a poor defensive prospect entering the league, has the highest defensive “Net Points” ranking in the NBA.
This new metric undoubtedly has some shortcomings; however, it adds another layer of understanding to the game and every player’s specific impact on both ends of the floor.
Jarrett Allen Net Points Top Ten Explanation
At face value, Jarrett Allen’s stats on both ends of the floor are far from world-beating; he is averaging his fewest points per game (13.6 PPG) since the 2020-21 season and is combining to record fewer than two “stocks” (steals and blocks) per game.
However, Allen’s impact on the Cleveland Cavaliers is measurable in many ways.
For one, Allen’s field goal percentage is an astonishingly high 71.2%, which ranks first among players who have played in 50 or more games during the 2024-25 regular season.
Additionally, Allen is part of the third-highest net rating of any 5-player lineup that has played in at least 20 games thus far this season.
Overall, Allen’s 13.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.9 blocks, and 0.9 steals per game are rock-solid averages, but they don’t even begin to tell the whole picture.
Allen plays his role to perfection and understands that players like Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley are much more adept at creating their shots and, thus, should shoot more than he does on a nightly basis.
Between Allen’s efficiency on the offensive end of the floor, elite pick-and-roll play as the roller, offensive rebounding capabilities, and rim protecting talent defensively, it should not come as quite as much of a surprise that he ranks as highly as he does in “Net Points.”
Perhaps Allen and the Cavaliers can win the organization’s second NBA championship this season. Only time will tell.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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