Cavs Rumors: All-Star Jarrett Allen 'Hopeful' to Return from Injury Within 3 Weeks

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen is optimistic about returning from a fractured left finger within the next three weeks, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

That timeline would allow the 2022 All-Star to get back on the court by the time the Cavs wrap up the regular season April 10 against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Allen is averaging 16.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks this season. Along with rookie Evan Mobley, the 6'11" rim protector has anchored a Cleveland team that ranks fourth in defensive rating (107.4), per NBA.com.

The Cavs have hit a bit of a wall this season, however. Coming out of the All-Star break, they're 6-7 and have the 11th-worst net rating (minus-2.6) in the league. As a result, they could slip into the play-in tournament—they have a one-game lead on the seventh-place Toronto Raptors—after having hovered near the top four for most of the year.

Cleveland is playing with house money at this point. The team has already far achieved expectations after having gone 22-50 one year ago. With Allen, Mobley and Darius Garland, general manager Koby Altman has assembled a promising young core that could accomplish big things.

But failing to advance out of the play-in tournament or getting swept in a one-sided first-round series would nevertheless be a somewhat underwhelming conclusion to an otherwise excellent campaign.

Even if he isn't able to help the Cavaliers much down the stretch, simply getting Allen back for a game or two heading into the postseason would be huge for third-year head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.