It wasn’t until Christmas Day that Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen started to think about making his first All-Star team. The idea hadn’t crossed his mind before then. It wasn’t a preseason goal or, in Allen’s view, the slightest possibility.
Allen’s four-year NBA existence had been based around thankless motion—rim runs, picks and deep drops—as an offensively limited center whose contributions aren’t associated with stardom. But so far this year, with a wider role on the league’s most pleasantly surprising team, he’s looked the part. When the fan vote officially began on Dec. 25, the ever-modest Allen, 23, was momentarily forced to reconcile with his own ascension.