The All-Star Case for the Core Four

Injuries have not been the kindest this season to the Cavaliers, and Darius Garland could tell you that better than anyone.

This season’s mid-season showcase will be held in Los Angeles, at the Clippers’ Intuit Dome, which is in its second season of existence.

Before the Cavs play their 28^th game of the season on Wednesday night in Chicago, the voting period for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game will get underway.

 As we’ve raced past the quarter-season mark and now have All-Star Weekend in our sights (after the Christmas Day game, of course), let’s take a look at the candidates to represent the Wine & Gold in SoCal during the weekend of February 13-15.

Donovan Mitchell leads the charge for this season, with Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen all making cases for themselves, with the latter getting back to full health.

(Don’t forget about Jaylon Tyson, Tyrese Proctor, and Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who have a claim to make about getting into the Rising Stars game, even though there is no fan vote for that event.)

Here’s the All-Star case for the Wine & Gold’s Core Four …

DONOVAN MITCHELL

At this point in the season, it seems that there is little-to-no debate on who the best guard in the Eastern Conference is.

The ninth-year man from Louisville is off to a scorching start. Mitchell is scoring at a career-best, pouring in 30.7 a night. He is shooting a career-best from the field (49.4 percent) as well as from behind the arc (38.1 percent); he leads the league in field goal attempts (541), three-point attempts (265), and three-pointers made (101). 

There are only two players in the entire league averaging at least 30.0 PPG while shooting over 49 percent from the floor: Donovan Mitchell and the reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s making it look easy on a nightly basis on the offensive end with 14 games of 30-plus and four games of 40-plus.

“It was one of the best performances I’ve seen,” said Head Coach Kenny Atkinson after Mitchell’s season-high 48-point outing in Washington last week. “He kind of carried us. Donovan wasn’t just shooting threes, he was at the rim a lot.”

Whichever word you want to use to describe Spida’s game, it fits. Mitchell is incredibly efficient, scoring at will at every level, and doing it on a nightly basis. It’s shaping up to be a sixth-straight appearance and second-straight start for No. 45.

EVAN MOBLEY

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year was up to his usual tricks, if not improving on them, this season before a calf strain will have him sidelined for 2-4 weeks.

While this season his game may look a bit different than his first handful of years in the Association, Mobley is averaging career-highs in: points (19.1), assists (4.1), and steals (0.96) while ranking 14^th in the league in rebounds (9.3) and fifth in blocks (1.64).

His defense is still solid as ever, especially in the interior. The USC Trojan has 12 games with multiple blocks, good for third-best in the NBA. He recorded at least one block in the season’s first 11 games.

Want to try to shoot over Mobley? He’s fifth in contested shots per game, while also being third in contested threes per game, a perfect snapshot of his versatility on that side of the ball.

In a league (and era) filled with “do-it-all” type of players, the 2021 first round pick fits squarely into that category. Mobley is the only player in the Eastern Conference and one-of-two NBA players this season averaging at least 19.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 0.90 SPG and 1.50 BPG.

Even before the recent injury, Evan Mobley built up a resume to warrant a second career selection. A strong showing coming out of that to close the voting window may solidify his spot.

DARIUS GARLAND

Coming off the strongest season of his professional career, DG is just really starting to get his feet under him in the 2025-26 campaign. After missing the first seven (then six of the next nine), his best performance may have been the most recent.

In Sunday’s game against the Hornets, Garland tallied 26 points and nine assists while hitting three threes. “It’s getting there,” said Garland postgame on Sunday about where his game is at. “It’s getting there slowly but surely.”

Of the 11 games Garland has suited up for, he’s reached the 20-point more on four occasions and handed out eight or more assists on five.

The best form of Garland should result in the best form of the Cavs. Is that corner slowly but surely being turned for the two-time All-Star?

JARRETT ALLEN

Another of the Cavs former All-Stars that have been bitten by the injury bug throughout the season has been the man in the middle.

JA has, as always, been a steady presence in the starting unit, scoring an even 14 points per, with over seven rebounds and a career-best 0.94 steals per game.

In just 27 minutes of action on Nov. 12 in Miami, Allen became the third Cavalier ever to record 30-plus points and 10-plus rebounds in less than 30 minutes played. He racked up a game-high 30 and grabbed 10 boards in the Cavs win on South Beach.

He is ever-efficient, as well, holding the highest ever field goal percentage in franchise history (minimum 500 FGM), owing a 65.1 percentage.

The energy, rebounding, and consistency he brings to the floor for the Wine & Gold - doing a lot that does not show up in the box score - is returning at a time of need. Is it returning in time to make a push for an All-Star spot?