Darius Garland and Evan Mobley named NBA All-Star reserves

Garland and Mobley get the honor they deserve.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be well represented in San Francisco for All-Star Weekend. Darius Garland and Evan Mobley were named NBA All-Star reserves for the Eastern Conference. They will be joining Donovan Mitchell, and Kenny Atkinson.

Both Garland and Mobley are more than deserving of this distinction. Garland is having the best season of his career as he’s averaging 21.7 points and 6.8 assists per game on .499/.425/.883. His shooting percentage from the floor and beyond the arc are career highs. This is in addition to having the best turnover percentage of his career 11.4% (71st percentile).

This has been a phenomenal bounce-back season for Garland. His resurgence is a big reason why the Cavs currently have the best record in the conference and the top offense in the league. Cleveland’s offense has been 7.7 points better per 100 possessions (93rd percentile) with Garland on the floor compared to when he’s off.

Garland’s exceptional play has been recognized throughout the season with two Eastern Conference Player of the Week awards and now a trip to the All-Star game. This is the second time he’s been selected as an All-Star.

Mobley will be making his first trip to the All-Star Game. The leap that he’s taken this season has been impressive as he’s averaging a career-high in points with 18.2 per contest.

Mobley’s offensive evolution has been impressive, but it hasn’t come at the expense of the defense end. He’s pulling down 9.1 rebounds and providing 1.4 blocks per game. Mobley’s defensive efforts have been recognized in being named Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month in December.

Jarrett Allen didn’t make the All-Star Game. He had a strong case with being an important part of the first place Cavs. However, the counting stats—13.8 points and 10 rebounds—weren’t enough to make the selection.

The Eastern Conference reserves are Cade Cunningham, Jaylen Brown, Damian Lillard, Pascal Siakam, and Tyler Herro.

The All-Star Game will have a different format this season. The All-Stars from both conferences will be split up into three teams. They, along with the winner of the Rising Stars Game, will participate in a four-game mini-tournament.

The All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 8.