Cavs' Jarrett Allen sends clear message about offensive issues

A 2-0 deficit in the Eastern Conference Finals leaves the Cleveland Cavaliers staring at hard questions, and Jarrett Allen offered an honest answer after their 109-93 Game 2 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. The former All-Star center laid out exactly what Cleveland's frontcourt needs to change.

Allen finished Game 2 with 13 points and 10 rebounds. He wants himself and All-Star teammate Evan Mobley to stop waiting for the offense to come to them.

"Sometimes I feel like we can just go set the pick, stop waiting for a play, stop waiting for somebody to call us up, and just run the offense ourselves. Not necessarily taking the ball and bringing it up the court, but initiating the offense by going and setting a screen out of the blue," Allen said.

What the Cavaliers' frontcourt usage has to do with their offensive collapse

Mobley scored 10 of his 14 points in the first quarter and attempted just two shots over the final three quarters. Cleveland shot 9-of-35 from 3-point range, finished 38.8% from the field overall, and missed 10 of 32 free throws.

“Sometimes I feel like we can just go set the pick -- stop waiting for a play, stop waiting for somebody to call us up -- and just run the offense ourselves. Not necessarily taking the ball and bringing it up the court, but initiating the offense by going and setting a screen out… pic.twitter.com/n6AddrmVqa

Allen connected the drop-off to a pattern that creeps in when shots aren't falling.

"I think getting away from the process happens. The other team starts making shots, and everybody's trying to make something successful happen. I think it's easy for our guards, especially guys who've had success in the past shooting more shots, to fall into that," he added.

He pointed back at his own role in fixing the problem.

"I think the previous question was whether Evan and I can dominate the game more by going and setting screens ourselves. That part of the process is on us. That part is on Evan and me to step up and say, we've done this before, we've had success with it. Evan and I need to speak up more," Allen said.

The Knicks have now won nine straight playoff games. Game 3 moves to Cleveland on Saturday, and what Allen and others do early could determine the outcome.

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