When LeBron James left the Cavs after the 2018 season, Cleveland began to rebuild, and four seasons later, things are starting to turn around for the Cavaliers as they are 31-21 and the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, and a big reason for the turnaround, is now an All-Star.
Darius Garland has been selected as a reserve for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland, the league announced Thursday night.
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 71st annual NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, February 20 at familiar place for Garland, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The 22-year-old Garland has recorded career highs in points (19.8), rebounds (3.3), assists (8.2, seventh-best in NBA), steals (1.23), minutes (34.7), field goal percentage (.467) and free throw percentage (.907, 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 (Nikola Jokić) and 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 (seven).
Additionally, he became the fourth-youngest player in Cavaliers history to notch a triple-double in a win at Utah on Jan. 12 (LeBron James, Brad Daugherty, 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 age 22 during Cleveland’s victory at Oklahoma City on Jan. 15 (Trae Young, Luka Dončić).
An NBA All-Star Draft to determine team rosters will be announced on February 10 as team captains LeBron James and Kevin Durant will draft from the pool of 22 players voted as starters and reserves in each conference.
