When the starters were announced for this year's NBA All-Star game in Cleveland, it was a little disappointing to see that any of the talented stars on the Cavaliers weren't featured. Thankfully, it was just for the starting lineup since on Thursday night Cleveland's superstar guard Darius Garland was named to the 2022 All-Star roster as a reserve. This marks the first NBA All-Star selection for Garland, as well as the first for a Cavaliers player since Kevin Love and LeBron James in 2018. The voting for reserves was done by NBA head coaches for their respective conferences.
Garland has recorded career highs in points (19.8), rebounds (3.3), assists (8.2, which is seventh-best in NBA), steals (1.23), minutes (34.7), field goal percentage of 46.7% and free throw percentage of .907, which is fifth-best in NBA over his 44 appearances (all starts) this season. The third-year guard is one of only two NBA players averaging at least 19.0 points on .460 shooting or better and 7.0 assists, joining Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokić. Garland also leads the entire Eastern Conference in plus/minus at +317. Garland has eight games of at least 20 points and 10 assists (third-most in East) and his 16 double-doubles are more than twice as many as his first two NBA seasons combined.
Garland, the NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Jan. 10-16, joined LeBron James as the only Cavaliers in the last 20 seasons to have five straight games of at least 10 assists from January15 to the 24. Additionally, he became the fourth-youngest player in Cavaliers history to notch a triple-double in a win at Utah on January 12, joining LeBron James, Brad Daugherty and Kyrie Irving, and just the third player in NBA history to have a game of at least 27 points, 18 assists and five rebounds before turning 22 during Cleveland’s victory at Oklahoma City on January 15.
An NBA All-Star Draft to determine team rosters will be broadcasted Thursday, Feb. 10 on TNT with team captains, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, drafting from the pool of 22 players voted as starters and reserves in each conference. These honors are well-deserved for Garland. He's arguably become Cleveland's most valuable player and is the engine that drives the team's offense on a night-to-night basis.
Cavaliers big man Jarrett Allen, who is largely responsible for Cleveland's defensive turnaround, meanwhile, was a snub. On the season, Allen is averaging 16.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.4 blocks per game. He should've gotten in as an Eastern Conference reserve, especially over Toronto's Fred VanVleet, but, sometimes that's just how the cookie crumbles. Thankfully, there's still a chance that Allen could get in due to injury. But, when having to go against a field featuring Charlotte's LaMelo Ball among others, it's still tough to say if Allen has a real shot of getting in.
Cavaliers starting shooting guard Isaac Okoro will join rookie Evan Mobley during this year's All-Star festivities. |
But, Garland isn't the only one that will be representing the Cavaliers during All-Star weekend festivities. Cleveland big man Evan Mobley and guard Isaac Okoro have been selected as Clorox Rising Stars, the NBA announced on Tuesday. The 2022 Clorox Rising Stars will be played on Friday, February 18 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. TNT will televise the annual showcase of premier young talent at 9 p.m. Eastern.
Mobley, the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, is averaging 14.8 points on 50.5% shooting from the field, 8.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.72 blocks, which is sixth-most in NBA, in 34.2 minutes over 43 games. The rookie center from USC is leading all NBA rookies in rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage, plus/minus and dunks all while ranking second in points, minutes and double-doubles and sixth in assists.
Mobley won the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award for October and November and is currently one of only three players in the entire NBA averaging at least 14.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks alongside Utah's Rudy Gobert and Los Angeles star Anthony Davis. He has recorded at least one block on 36 occasions, including 22 multi-block performances, which is the most among all rookies and has six 20-point games. Mobley is just the third NBA rookie since the 1973-74 season to accumulate at least 600 points, 300 rebounds, 100 assists, 30 steals and 70 blocks while also shooting at least 50.0% shooting from the field or better in the first 43 games of a career since Chris Webber and Bobby Jones.
Okoro, meanwhile, is the Cavaliers’ No. 5 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, who went on to earn NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors last season after becoming only the third rookie in franchise history to record at least 500 points, 50 three-pointers, 50 steals and 20 blocks in a single season since LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. In 2021-22, Okoro has appeared in 36 games with averages of 9.1 points and 3.3 rebounds in 28.5 minutes per contest.
The Auburn University product has scored in double figures in 14 games, including two 20-point performances, and his plus/minus of +92 is the sixth-best among all rookie and sophomore players. Since December10, Okoro is averaging double figures in scoring at 11.0 points per game while shooting 57.3% from the field and 40.9%from beyond the arc. His percentages from the field, three-point range and free throw line have all increased from his rookie campaign as well.
So, for now, the Cavaliers will be well represented heading into All-Star Weekend despite Jarrett Allen not being picked for Sunday's main event. The contestants for this year's three-point contest haven't been selected yet. Maybe Kevin Love gets in on that so that Cleveland has someone involved every single night of the weekend. Those should be announced soon enough and as of today, it feels like he has a good shot.
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