J.B. Bickerstaff speaks on why Darius Garland participated in All-Star Weekend despite his injury

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland is dealing with a back injury that will need to be managed for the rest of the 2021-22 season. Questions have been raised as to why he participated in the NBA’s All-Star festivities despite the injury.

Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff recently addressed that topic and explained why Garland participated in All-Star Weekend.

“Our plan started before the All-Star break and how we were going to manage it,” Bickerstaff said. “Understanding the amount of days around the All-Star break and how we could best manage that as well and as we start back playing, it was part of the plan. We were aware of the steps we wanted to take as we moved into it.”

Garland has been arguably the Cavs’ most important player this season. He is averaging 20.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from beyond the arc.

Cleveland is in the middle of an intense playoff race in the Eastern Conference and currently holds the No. 5 seed. However, the team could be due for some regression if Garland misses a significant amount of time.

Cleveland lost to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night in a frustrating game with Garland out of the lineup. The loss marked the Cavs’ third consecutive defeat.

It’s understandable that the Cavs wanted Garland to get a chance to experience All-Star Weekend, especially since it was in Cleveland, but the team is certainly going to need him to return to action in good health if the group wants to make a playoff run this season.

The Cavs’ next game will come Saturday against the Washington Wizards.