Cavs Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen will team in NBA All-Star Skills Challenge
Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley will compete for Team Cavs in the newly formatted Skills Challenge Feb. 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse during NBA All-Star weekend.
Teams of three will participate in a four-round competition that tests shooting, passing, and dribbling ability.
Other Cavs who have participated in the Skills Challenge were Kyrie Irving (2012), LeBron James (2006, 2007), and Mo Williams (2009).
The Skills Challenge will be the first event on All-Star Saturday Night, which will also feature the 3-Point and Slam Dunk contests.
Team Cavs will take on Team Rooks, comprised of Scottie Barnes (Toronto Raptors), Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons) and Josh Giddey (Oklahoma City Thunder), and Team Antetokounmpos with Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brothers, Thanasis and Alex. Thanasis plays with Giannis on the Milwaukee Bucks, and Alex is with the G League’s Raptors 905.
Garland was voted a first-time All-Star, while Mobley will also participate in the Rising Stars game along with teammate Isaac Okoro.
Mobley said Wednesday he has "a lot of excitement" over his inclusion in All-Star weekend, and called the Skills Challenge format "a cool little setup."
Mobley said he, Allen, and Garland will likely discuss their Skills strategy ahead of the event.
"I’m sure we will. When it comes closer, we’re definitely probably going to meet together and figure out how we’re going to win," Mobley said.
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GlenOak High School graduate CJ McCollum, traded to the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, is among those in the 3-Point Contest. McCollum will be joined by Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls), Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves), Fred VanVleet (Toronto Raptors), Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks), Desmond Bane (Memphis Grizzlies), Luke Kennard (Los Angeles Clippers), and Patty Mills (Brooklyn Nets).
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Competing in the Slam Dunk contest will be Cole Anthony (Orlando Magic), Jalen Green (Houston Rockets), Obi Toppin (New York Knicks), and Juan Toscano-Anderson (Golden State Warriors). Toppin, a University of Dayton product, was the runner-up last year to Anfernee Simons (Portland Trail Blazers). The others are first-timers.
In celebration of the league's 75th anniversary, the NBA also announced its top 15 all-time coaches without ranking them. Included were former Cavs coaches Lenny Wilkens (1986-93) and Chuck Daly (1981-82).
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Wilkens was the only one to make the list who was also among the league’s top 75 players. He leads Cavs coaches in total victories with 316.
The list was selected by a panel of 43 current and former NBA coaches, in collaboration with the National Basketball Coaches Association.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Cavs at www.beaconjournal.com/cavs. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Cavaliers Garland, Allen, Mobley team in Skills Challenge
