Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images Allen discusses what he’s done to handle the grind of the NBA season. This stretch of basketball has been tough for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jarrett Allen has felt this weight more than most as he’s had to shoulder an incredible load due to the injuries and relentless schedule facing his team. “It’s definitely a grind,” Allen said. “We all know it’s a physical grind, having to play night in, night out. That’s gonna wear on anybody.” “The thing a lot of people overlook is the mental side of it. I think a lot of the guys were getting hit mentally hard, even myself. Just having to do the same thing every single day. Come in, work, and do it all [again].” One of the things Allen did to combat this was spend a sunny March day outside before heading to the game. “For me, it’s just about trying to get away from basketball,” Allen said. “Days like these in Cleveland, I’ll go by the lake, sit on the hill, and just watch the clouds go by. Little stuff like that goes a long way. Especially out here where you barely see the sun.” Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has seen how this stretch has affected his team. His solution for on the court was trying to figure out how to make basketball fun again for his team. “It’s understanding the spirit of your group and how to push the right buttons to help them find that place,” Bickerstaff said. “If [the coaching staff] comes in, and we’re down and we’re feeling sorry for ourselves, that’s who they see. So in positions of leadership, you set the mood. It’s on us to set the mood, give our guys some joy, and help it carry over to the floor.” Evan Mobley noticed this change in mood from Bickerstaff and his assistants. “Before the game, he kind of emphasized [finding joy],” Mobley said. “We got to play with that joy and play as a team, build that camaraderie, and I feel like that really helped us tonight and felt like everyone was on the same page.” The Cavs looked like the team they’ve been searching to be over the last month in their win on Monday. They played with an intensity and joy that’s been rare. We’ll see how it carries over when they aren’t winning big against one of the worst teams in the league. “Games like this where we show what we’re capable of in terms of passing, in terms of just playing Cavs basketball. It goes a long way,” Allen said. Regardless of what happens on the court, life is about finding joy in the small moments. That looks different for everyone. For someone like Allen, simply watching clouds go by can have a big impact. “You just got to find the little moments to just decompress.” Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2024/3/26/ ... -to-unwind