Mitchell and Mobley listed on first fan-voting returns

Mitchell has a good chance of starting another All-Star Game.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will likely have a few representatives in San Francisco for the NBA All-Star Game. The question is how many. If the first returns are any indicator, there’s a chance that there will be two players.

Donovan Mitchell is the most likely Cavaier to make the All-Star team. He’s done so in his first two seasons in Cleveland, was a starter in 2023, and has made it five seasons in a row. Mitchell is averaging 23.7 points and 4.6 assists per game. He’s second in Eastern Conference guard voting behind just LaMelo Ball and has a good chance of being a starter once again.

Evan Mobley is the other Cavalier within the top ten of his position group. He’s tenth in front-court voting.

Mobley said at the beginning of the season that being an All-Star is one of his goals. That may be possible. It likely won’t be as a starter, but there’s a good chance he can make it as a reserve. Mobley is averaging 18.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game and was just named Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month.

Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen didn’t make the list on the first return of the fan voting. Garland has a good argument for being on the team. He’s in the midst of the best season of his career and is averaging 20.5 points and 6.7 assists on a team that’s on a 72-win pace.

Allen doesn’t have nearly as strong of a case, but he’s been an All-Star in the past and is a very good player. It’s tough to make it as the fourth option on a team when you don’t have impressive counting stats (13.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game).

The fan voting is just for All-Star starters. The voting is open through the end of the day on Jan. 20. The starters will be selected by a combination of fan voting, player voting, and media voting. All-Star reserves will be chosen by the coaches.

The NBA will be experimenting with a new All-Star Game format this season. The game will be on Feb. 16.