Why Darius Garland Should Be An NBA All-Star

With the season-ending meniscus tear to point guard Collin Sexton, point guard Darius Garland was elevated to a starting role this season and has taken full advantage of the situation.

So far this season, he is playing 34.2 minutes and is averaging 19.5 points, three rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. If he can continue playing well, he can easily earn himself a spot on the All-Star Game roster for the Eastern Conference.

Just Got to Keep Playing Well

Garland is most likely not going to sniff a starting position for the All-Star Game due to fans not knowing about his play because it is not showcased. However, at just 21 years old, Garland is showcasing why he can be a force in the NBA for years to come.

He is shooting well this season as he is shooting 47.9 percent from the field, 38.4 percent from three, and 90.5 percent from the free-throw line. Shooting 50/40/90 splits throughout the unofficial first half of the regular season is going to turn some heads, as remember that NBA players and media also contribute to half the voting power.

Garland is also 10th in the NBA in assists per game and can continue to climb the leaderboards with his incredible vision on the court.

Home-Field Advantage

Now, this is just a theory but wouldn’t the NBA want to showcase players in their home market for the All-Star game?

The Eastern Conference does not have spectacular guard play with Sexton injured, Kyrie Irving yet to suit up this season, and Ben Simmons holding out (yes, he’s listed as a point guard still). That is going to leave some openings in the rosters.

The NBA has decided to ditch the positions for the All-Star Game and instead go with voting for three players in the frontcourt and two players in the backcourt.

Basketball could want to highlight Cleveland during this game and make sure to have a Cavaliers player appear in this game, and Darius Garland definitely deserves the nod.

What About the Other Options?

As we said, you are allowed to vote on two backcourt players from each conference, and the backcourt is top heavy in terms of guards. James Harden could get in of name-value alone, Trae Young as well, and Bradley Beal is putting up a good season.

After that, you have guys like Kyle Lowry, LaMelo Ball, Khris Middleton, and Darius Garland. As of this writing, Harden, Young, Lowry, and Ball are all ahead of him in assists per game, but Garland is fourth in Eastern Conference guards in points.

The league loves to highlight their younger talent, and nothing would scream that more than Darius Garland getting to appear in his first career All-Star Game inside of the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. It seems like a good story that is ready to be written.

I’m not saying Garland is going to be named one of the ten starting players, but Darius Garland not being an All-Star this season would be nothing short of a travesty.