It didn’t take long for former Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love to make a bold prediction during the team’s media day before last season.
“I think we have the makings of a team that could have four All-Stars,” Love said, via the Cavs. “I think people know what we’re capable of now. If we put it together, we aren’t a team that’s really going to surprise anybody anymore. I think people that have played us, coaching staffs and players from around the league know what we’re about.
“I think now, it’s just taking that next level of maturity, knowing that there were some games last year that we let some teams off the hook. Teams played really well against us. Of course, there’s going to be off nights, but understanding that we were right there in playoff contention and a team that could’ve been playing basketball, which you hope, into May and into June. But I truly believe with Donovan stepping into his role, guys getting another year under their belts, having continuity within our lineup, it’s just going to be huge for us.”
Cleveland finished last season with one All-Star. Guard Donovan Mitchell was selected to play for Team Antetokounmpo, joining former Cavs forward Lauri Markkanen, Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan and Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday. It would be his first selection as an All-Star starter in his six-year NBA career.
A handful of Cavaliers showed they at least had the foundations to build their way up to an All-Star selection. Guard Darius Garland nearly matched the points, rebounds, assists and steals per game from his All-Star season during his third year in the NBA. Forward Evan Mobley became the second-youngest player to earn a spot on the All-NBA Defensive First Team when he was selected in May.
Which Cavaliers have the opportunity to be All-Stars during the 2023-24 season?
Donovan Mitchell
Mitchell made the All-NBA Second Team last season. He became the fifth Cavalier to be named to an All-NBA team in franchise history, joining guard Mark Price, center Brad Daugherty, forward LeBron James and guard Kyrie Irving, according to a May release. The former Louisville guard set career-high marks in points per game and field goal percentage during the 68 games he played for Cleveland last season.
Mitchell must step into the leadership role he took early on during Cleveland’s 2022-23 campaign to earn his fifth-straight All-Star selection next season.
“Be a leader, be a voice, be a calming presence. Kind of like K-Love and Ricky in a sense,” Mitchell said when asked what this team needed from him last October, via Akron Beacon Journal Sports Reporter Marla Ridenour. “When everybody thinks leader, they think of someone who talks the most.
“But you’ve got to be able to listen. You’ve got to be receptive to what people are saying.”
Darius Garland
If he’s done it once, who’s to say he can’t do it again?
Garland last earned an All-Star selection during the 2021-22 season. He became the first Cavalier to make an All-Star spot since Love and James in 2018. The 23-year-old guard averaged 21.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 8.6 assists during the Cavs 2021-22 season, playing an essential role in Cleveland’s run to 44 wins and a near spot in the 2022 NBA playoffs. Garland hit a career-high 41% of his 3-point attempts during the 2022-23 regular season, putting him on pace with Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kyle Anderson and just below Detroit Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic and Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray.
Garland made his case for the All-Star game before the Cavs took a 113-95 win over the Houston Rockets in January.
“I should be an All-Star,” Garland said in January, via Cleveland.com Cavs reporter Chris Fedor. “My numbers are kind of similar to last year. We’re a lot better as a team this year. We have aspirations for the playoffs and we’re in as of now.
“Why wouldn’t I be an All-Star?”
Evan Mobley
Mobley was named to the 2023 Rising Stars Challenge for the second straight year in January. He played for Team Joakim along with New York Knicks guard Quentin Grimes, Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey. Mobley and Team Joakim made it to the Rising Stars championship, but fell to Team Pau in a 25-20 loss at Vivint Arena.
The third-year forward saw some improvement from his first to his second seasons with the Cavaliers. He averaged 1.2 more points, 0.7 more rebounds and 0.3 more assists per contest than he had the season before. He hit 47.1% of the 34 shots he attempted from 16-24 feet, a massive improvement from the 32.3% he shot the year before.
Mobley will still need to improve his outside shooting and overall strength before he makes a potential third-year leap. Garland saw improvement from his second to third season, where he would become an All-Star reserve on Team LeBron with Mitchell and center Jarrett Allen.