Menu

Darius Garland

Cleveland Cavaliers

Cavs’ depth will continue to be tested as injuries start to mount

/ , , , , , , , , , , / 0 Comments

The NBA season is a grind. In some respects, it’s a war of attrition.

For championship contenders, getting to the NBA Finals is as much about staying healthy as it is about anything else. (Just ask the Cavs, Knicks and 76ers, among others.)

After an injury-riddled 2023 season, the Cavaliers have been relatively healthy so far this year. Although Max Strus has yet to play a regular-season game, the Cavs have had the luxury of the “Core Four” being healthy and available most nights.

Kenny Atkinson has leaned into the team’s depth to keep his star players as rested as possible. Donovan Mitchell is averaging 31.1 minutes per game – a career low. Likewise, Darius Garland’s usage is at a career low. Evan Mobley’s minutes are down, and Jarrett Allen’s average minutes (30.2) are the lowest they’ve been since he played in Brooklyn.

The Cavs’ depth was on full display Sunday night against Charlotte. With a showdown in Boston looming on the horizon, Atkinson gave Mitchell the night off. Sam Merrill was out due to left-ankle inflammation.

Sliding into the starting lineup, Ty Jerome was brilliant, as he has been all season.

Jerome matched a career high with 24 points and dished out eight assists. Georges Niang had 13 points off the bench, while Craig Porter Jr. chipped in seven points. J.T. Thor even got into the action, scoring once on a strong drive to the basket late in the game.

Isaac Okoro started the game but hurt his ankle in the first half. Okoro didn’t return.

Dean Wade had three points and four rebounds before leaving the game with an ankle injury as well.

Still, the Cavs were able to notch their 15th consecutive victory to start the season, on the backs of strong performances from Garland (25 points and 12 assists), Allen (21 points and 15 rebounds) and Mobley (23 points and 11 rebounds), complemented by the bench bunch.

“We had five rotation guys out tonight if you think about it, with Dean and Isaac going out with the ankle injuries, so it speaks to the depth that we have and the skill level we have,” Atkinson said after the Cavs’ 128-114 win. “Kind of one through 15, which is a deep, deep team. Everybody can pretty much shoot it too.”

That depth – and the Cavs’ perfect record – will be tested this week.

Wade already has been ruled out for Tuesday’s game in Boston, which is the first night of a back-to-back. Merrill continues to be day-to-day, while Okoro is iffy for the showdown in Beantown.

To make matters worse, Caris LeVert is questionable with left-knee inflammation.

Atkinson knew this day would come.

“I think we did the best we could with minutes and distributing minutes – Donovan being part of the plan – and we’ll keep doing it,” Atkinson told reporters. “Going forward, you can’t fight the schedule. You just can’t. You’re gonna end up being shorthanded too much.”

He added: “This is a tough league. This is a really tough league, physically. I don’t know if the fans can even grasp how hard it is. … We know it’s a heavy load on us and we’re doing the best we can to manage it.”

Hornets Cavs logos

Hornets at Cavs: Mitchell resting, Merrill still out with ankle inflammation

/ , , , , , , , / 0 Comments

The 14-0 Cavaliers host the 5-7 Charlotte Hornets tonight at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

The Cavs are coming off a 144-126 win over Chicago Friday night. The 18-point margin of victory doesn’t tell the whole story, as the Cavs struggled to get separation against a gunslinging Bulls team that ranks fourth in made 3-pointers.

Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs with 37 points. Darius Garland had 29, Jarrett Allen had 24 and Georges Niang added 14 in a spot start for Evan Mobley, who was sick.

  1. Let’s talk about tonight’s game:
    1. Donovan Mitchell will sit this one out in the name of load management. It looks like Kenny Atkinson is resting him for Tuesday night’s showdown in Boston.
    2. Sam Merrill is out again. Merrill has missed the last two games with left-ankle soreness.
    3. Today’s official injury report indicates that Merrill is out due to left-ankle “inflammation.”
    4. Max Strus remains out with a right-ankle sprain.
    5. Ankle soreness and ankle sprains might seem like minor injuries at first glance, but Cavs fans are well-aware that an ankle injury can wipe out an entire season. Look no further than Ty Jerome last year for painful proof.
    6. Speaking of Jerome, the Cavs haven’t announced their starting lineup for tonight’s game yet, but I’m wondering if Jerome is a candidate for a spot start in lieu of Mitchell.
    7. Evan Mobley missed Friday night’s game due to an illness. Mobley is listed as probable tonight. With Mitchell out, you’d think Mobley would play if he’s anywhere near 100% or even 90%.
    8. Assuming Mobley plays, one possible starting combo would be Garland, Okoro, Niang, Mobley and Allen. That would allow Jerome to spell Garland. We’re certain to see more of Craig Porter Jr. tonight as well.
    9. Caris LeVert is another option for the starting lineup. It’ll be interesting to see what the mad scientist comes up with.
    10. This is a rare “rest-advantage” game for the Cavaliers. Charlotte is on the second night of a back-to-back.
    11. The Hornets edged Milwaukee 115-114 last night.
    12. LaMelo Ball is off to a strong start. Ball is averaging a career-high 29.6 points per game, 6.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds.
Draymond Green podcast

Draymond agrees: Cavs’ ball movement is ‘Warriors-esque’

/ , , , , , , , , / 0 Comments

The Cavs exploded for 37 points in the fourth quarter of their 144-126 win over the Bulls Friday night, and they score more points per game than any other team in the NBA.

When the Golden State Warriors came to town on Nov. 8, the Cavaliers put up an 83-spot in the first half.

You don’t have to remind Draymond Green about that Cavalanche.

“I think these Cleveland Cavaliers are serious, and I’m gonna tell you why I think they’re serious,” Green said on his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis.” “That ball humming so crazy … my head was spinning they was moving that ball so fast.”

Green emphasized: “They moving the ball so crazy.”

Green heaped praise on coach Kenny Atkinson – who spent the previous three seasons as an assistant with the Warriors – and the “mindset” Atkinson has brought to Cleveland.

“You see it in Darius Garland,” Green asserted. “Darius Garland is playing at an all-star level – an NBA-starter all-star level.”

Green also called out Evan Mobley: “The way Evan Mobley is playing is what you thought Evan Mobley would be coming out of college.”

That game left an indelible impression on Green’s co-host as well. Davis said the Cavs’ collective energy level has taken a quantum leap this year. He also marveled at the team’s depth.

The Cavaliers are a “dangerous” matchup for any team, Davis explained, because they have so many “offensive weapons.”

“They got breakdown players, they got shooters, they got guys who can play iso one-on-one,” Davis said.

They also have a plethora of players who can hit clutch shots, Davis added.

In his postgame comments Friday night, Atkinson attributed the crisp ball movement and free-flowing offense to the team’s chemistry and balanced mix of scorers and “connectors.”

Atkinson said he got a kick out of Green’s comments.

“He was just really impressed how we ping the ball around,” Atkinson told reporters. “How we drive, kick, swing; we get it out of pick-and-roll; we get it out of fast-break situations. It’s Warriors-esque – it’s really that type of ball movement. It’s beautiful to watch.”

I should note that when Green recorded his podcast, he insisted that Boston is the team to beat in the NBA. But that didn’t stop him from lavishing superlatives on the undefeated Cavs.

“I think this team – they got something there,” Green said. “ … I’m telling you, I like that team.”

 

Darius Garland

Darius Garland named Eastern Conference Player of the Week

/ , , , , , / 0 Comments

Darius Garland is back, and the NBA is taking notice.

On Monday, the NBA announced that Garland has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 4 (Week 3).

Garland was key to the Cavaliers’ 4-0 record this past week, extending the team’s overall record to an NBA-best and franchise-record 11-0 start to the season. Cleveland became just the 12th team in league history to win their first 11 games of a season and the first since the 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors.

During the week, Garland averaged a team-high 25 points, 7.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 31.8 minutes while shooting a remarkable .617 from the field, .576 from 3-point range and .875 from the foul line.

The 24-year-old was the only player in the East to average at least 25 points while shooting at least .600 from the field and .500 from three-point range this past week.

Among Eastern Conference leaders, Garland ranked second in three-pointers made (19), second in plus/minus (+49), fourth in 3-point percentage (.576, minimum of 10 attempts), sixth in assists per game (7.3), seventh in field-goal percentage (.617) and tied for seventh in points per game (25).

It was a week bursting with highlights.

Nov. 4, Milwaukee

Garland opened the week with a season-high 39 points on 15-of-22 (.682) shooting from the field, including 7-for-11 (.636) from beyond the arc, and a game-high eight assists in 35 minutes during Cleveland’s 116-114 win over Milwaukee on Nov. 4. That night, he became just the fifth player in Cavaliers history to tally at least 39 points, seven 3-pointers and eight assists in a single game, joining LeBron James (three times), Mo Williams, Kyrie Irving and Donovan Mitchell.

Nov. 6, New Orleans

The following contest, a 131-122 victory at New Orleans on Nov. 6, Garland posted a near double-double with 14 points, including 4-of-6 (.667) shooting from beyond the arc, a game-high nine assists and one block in 30 minutes.

Nov. 8, Golden State

During a 136-117 win versus Golden State on Nov. 8, Garland helped the team record its largest halftime lead in franchise history (+41, 83-42) and finished the night with a game-high 27 points on 9-of-17 (.529) shooting from the field, including 6-of-11 (.545) from the 3-point line, six assists and three steals in 30 minutes, while also passing Irving and Foots Walker (2,115) for fifth place on the Cavaliers’ all-time assists list.

Nov. 9, Brooklyn

In the final game of the week, a 105-100 victory over Brooklyn on Nov. 9, Garland helped the Cavaliers overcome a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter and recorded 20 points and six assists in 32 minutes. With his second 3-pointer in the win over the Nets, he tied Irving (723) for the fourth-most 3-pointers made in franchise history.

In 11 games this season, Garland is averaging 20.5 points, 6.6 assists and 1.18 steals in just 29.5 minutes per contest. He is the only player in the NBA averaging at least 20 points while shooting .500 from the field, .400 from 3-point range and .900 from the foul line.

This is Garland’s second career Player of the Week honor (once in 2021-2022), making him the seventh player in Cavaliers history to win the award multiple times, joining LeBron James (42), Kyrie Irving (four), Donovan Mitchell (four), Andre Miller (two), Terrell Brandon (two) and Mike Mitchell (two).

Garland’s recent honor also marks the 69th time a Cavalier has ever won the weekly award, and the second consecutive week a Cavalier has earned Player of the Week status, following Donovan Mitchell’s win in Week 2.

Darius Garland

Garland shines in come-from-behind win over Bucks

/ , , , , , , / 0 Comments

When the Cavaliers went off for 73 points in the first half Monday night against the Milwaukee Bucks – who were playing without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo – it looked like an 8-0 start to the season was a foregone conclusion.

However, the Bucks showed some grit in the second half, outscoring the Cavs 31-16 in the third quarter to take a two-point lead into the final frame.

The Bucks held the lead until the 3:24 mark in the fourth quarter, when Darius Garland tied the game with a layup off a Donovan Mitchell steal.

Garland hit three more big shots down the stretch – none bigger than his step-back 3-pointer that gave the Cavs a 113-111 lead with 45 seconds left.

The Cavaliers held on for a 116-114 win to improve to 8-0 on the season, tying a franchise record dating back to 1976.

Garland was magnificent, leading all scorers with 39 points and outdueling his idol Damian Lillard.

Garland added eight assists. Kenny Atkinson raved about Garland’s late-game pass to Jarrett Allen, who was cutting to the basket off a pick-and-roll. Allen’s layup gave the Cavs a 115-111 lead with 12 seconds left.

“I don’t know how he got it there,” Atkinson said of Garland’s pass.

What impressed Atkinson the most about Garland?

“Thirty-nine points, but [only] two turnovers,” Atkinson told reporters. “Even the last game in Milwaukee, no one talked about Darius, but he had 10 assists and two turnovers. He is a true point guard. Now add the scoring to it, [and] you’ve got an All-Star guy. He’s really playing unbelievable basketball.”

Garland was 7-of-11 from 3-point range. After the game, Garland talked about how his 3-point shooting has a cascading effect on the rest of his game.

“When I make a couple, [the defense starts] overreacting,” Garland told reporters. “And that’s when the lane just starts to open up, and that’s when I get downhill, so I look for teammates so the floater’s there. [Atkinson] wants me to shoot more 3’s so it can open up [the rest of my game]. I think I’m a pretty good shooter, so if I make a couple, I think all hell will break loose from there.”

Garland looks like a different player this year, after a jaw injury sidelined him for 19 games. When he returned to game action last season, Garland struggled to find his groove.

When asked if he feels more like himself this season, Garland coyly responded: “No … and yes.”

“No because I always had that aggression. I always had that mindset that I can just blow by anybody, I can get to the spots that I want to get to,” Garland said. “Yes because my head is free. I’m playing freely, my confidence is super high, my teammates got my back.”

Garland added: “I really appreciate my teammates and my coaching staff … telling me to be me, and that’s what I’m trying to do for the rest of the season.”

Darius Garland

Darius Garland has returned to form, and that’s bad news for Cavs opponents

/ , , , , , / 0 Comments

Count me among those Cavaliers fans who were underwhelmed by the team’s offseason moves.

Don’t get me wrong: Signing Donovan Mitchell to a three-year extension was a big deal (not to mention a middle finger to every national sports pundit who said there was zero chance that Mitchell would stay in Cleveland). Locking down Evan Mobley was a no-brainer, in my opinion, and extending Jarrett Allen’s contract after a career year made sense.

And J.B. Bickerstaff had to go.

But, absent any splashy free-agent signings or convoluted multi-team trades, what did the Cavs do to put themselves in a stronger position to compete with the Boston Celtics this season?

How about bringing back a healthy Darius Garland?

While that’s maybe not the answer you were looking for, the Cavaliers are 4-0 to start the season, and Garland is a big reason why.

At his best, Garland is a quick, crafty, elusive slasher who can create his own shot and score on demand. Garland is a perimeter threat as well, and when his 3-point shot is falling – like it was Monday night in Madison Square Garden – it can leave opposing teams gobsmacked. Let’s not forget that Garland is a gifted passer as well, and was among the league leaders in assists for the past two seasons prior to 2023.

Speaking of last season, Garland missed 19 games after suffering a broken jaw in a collision with Kristaps Porzingis on Dec. 14, 2023. When he came back from the grueling recovery, Garland had lost weight, and never regained his groove. Even on his best nights after the jaw injury, he was a shell of his former self.

Fast-forward to Monday night.

In a rock-‘em sock-‘em, grind-it-out win over the Knicks, Garland was sensational, leading all scorers with 34 points. But it wasn’t even the point total that was most impressive. It was when he did it.

When Miles McBride hit a 3-pointer to give New York an 87-86 lead with 7:14 left, Garland answered with a trey to put Cleveland back on top, 89-87.

After Jalen Brunson tied the game at 89-89, Garland hit a floating jump shot off the glass to make it 91-89. After a Brunson miss on the next possession, Garland found Allen cutting to the basket to extend the Cavs’ lead.

Down the stretch, Garland drained two more 3-pointers, hit another jumper, canned two free throws and had two steals and two blocks – yes, blocks.

One of the aforementioned blocks came when Brunson was barreling toward the basket with just under two minutes to play, and the Cavs were clinging to a four-point lead. Backpedaling, Garland was the only obstacle in Brunson’s path, and he thwarted a potentially momentum-shifting Brunson dunk.

“Everyone’s gonna talk about his offensive game,” coach Kenny Atkinson said of Garland after the game. “I’m gonna talk about his two stops – his two blocks at the end of the game. Those were huge plays.

“ … To get that offensive game, we all know he can do that. But to add the defense to it, just a 10-out-of-10 game for him. He was phenomenal.”

Donovan Mitchell

Donovan Mitchell’s knee still isn’t right

/ , , , , , , , , / 0 Comments

Like many NBA teams, the Cavaliers have been battling injuries throughout the season.

Jarrett Allen missed the first five games of the season after hurting his left ankle in training camp. Evan Mobley and Darius Garland each missed roughly six weeks starting in mid-December. Max Strus has missed the last seven games with a right-knee strain.

Then there’s MVP candidate Donovan Mitchell. The Cavs welcomed Mitchell back to the fold on March 13 after a seven-game absence, and trounced the New Orleans Pelicans 116-95 – snapping the Pelicans’ four-game winning streak.

Mitchell tallied 14 points in New Orleans. While that’s roughly half of Mitchell’s season scoring average, Darius Garland told reporters after the game that Mitchell’s mere presence on the court is a major boost for the Cavs, because he attracts so much attention from the opposing defense.

Unfortunately, the Cavaliers were unable to carry that momentum into Houston Saturday night, where they lost to the Rockets 117-103.

Mitchell drained three 3-pointers but finished with only 13 points in 25 minutes of action.

After the game, a frustrated Mitchell dropped a bit of a bombshell on reporters.

“I’ll give you some news: I’m probably not playing the next game, to be completely honest with you,” Mitchell said. “I just gotta take some rest and get it right. I thought I was ready. I’m not.”

On March 4, Mitchell received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection at the Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine Center to treat a bone bruise in his left knee. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff has attributed the injury to wear and tear over the course of the season.

After the loss in Houston, Mitchell was brutally honest about how the bruised knee has stifled his game.

“No disrespect to some guys – I’m not really blowing by people right now, and that’s disappointing to me and it’s affecting me,” Mitchell said. “ … It sucks. I want to be out there, but it’s clear as day, even to myself. I can’t fool myself. So I have to sit there, get it right and be ready when that time comes.”

If Mitchell can’t play in Monday night’s Central Division matchup in Indiana, it will be a tough blow for a Cavaliers team that’s been struggling since the All-Star break. However, the Cavs have managed to overcome plenty of adversity throughout the season. Despite the rash of injuries, they’re still within striking distance of the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Cavaliers are 33-16 with Mitchell in the lineup this season.

Weird Week for Cavs

Cavs cap off weird week by beating best team in the West

/ , , , , , , , , / 0 Comments

Playing their fourth game in six nights, the Cavs knocked off the best team in the Western Conference – in overtime – two nights after beating the top team in the NBA in dramatic fashion.

Sandwiched between those gutsy wins were losses to the Hawks and the severely undermanned Knicks.

Friday night, the Cavs went toe-to-toe with the Timberwolves and their No. 1-ranked defense, matching Minnesota’s physical style of play – a promising sign for a team that got pushed around in the playoffs last year.

With Evan Mobley out, Jarrett Allen stepped up in a big way. Against a bigger man in Rudy Gobert – the second-leading rebounder in the NBA – Allen was a force in the paint, and he finished with a career-high 33 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks.

It was fun to watch Gobert’s late-game meltdown that led to a technical foul and a game-tying free throw. Gobert pantomimed the money sign with his fingertips after getting whistled for his sixth foul, suggesting the refs had money riding on the game. Allen clearly got under his skin.

Allen’s strategy against Gobert: “Just go out there with energy.”

“I think Rudy gets a lot of hate for what he does, but I still think he’s excellent in his position and how he goes out and plays the game,” the affable Allen told reporters after the game. “So for me it was to try to find little moments where I can sneak in, grab a rebound, tip the ball out or just catch him slipping.”

Gobert’s sixth foul sure seemed like a legit foul. But the hot-headed Frenchman didn’t see it that way. With 27.8 seconds left in the game – and the T-Wolves clinging to a one-point lead – it probably wasn’t the best time for Gobert to get on his soapbox about sports gambling.

The Cavaliers prevailed in overtime, 113-104, without the services of Mobley, Donovan Mitchell and Max Strus.

“It just boosts us for when everybody else comes back,” Allen said. “Contrary to [popular] belief, I do believe we’re at our best when everybody is back in the lineup.”

Still, it sometimes seems that Allen plays better when Mobley is out of the lineup. He’s more assertive, more aggressive and more decisive. Maybe it’s a case of next-man-up mentality.

J.B. Bickerstaff chalks it up to Allen’s consistency.

“He’s just been consistently dominant,” Bickerstaff said after the T-Wolves game. “We’ve been saying this since before the All-Star break, where we thought he was deserving to be an All-Star, because I can’t tell you bigs that are playing better than Jarrett Allen. He’s just been phenomenal. It’s a testament to him as a human being, as basketball player, to just want to do more to help the team win. And that’s who JA is.”

Darius Garland wasn’t too shabby either. Garland – who after the game said he doesn’t feel anywhere near 100% yet – paced the Cavaliers with 34 points on 13-of-26 shooting and eight assists.

“We know what Darius is capable of, and we believe in Darius wholeheartedly,” Bickerstaff said. “In the NBA, guys go through ups and downs, but the great ones figure out a way to come out of it. And he puts the time in, he works his tail off, his teammates believe in him, support him, trust him, and we know he’s gonna make the plays when we need him.”

Donovan Mitchell

Knee injury to sideline Donovan Mitchell for at least 3 more games

/ , , , , , , , / 0 Comments

Donovan Mitchell will miss the next three games due to a knee injury.

On March 4, Mitchell received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection at the Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine Center to treat a bone bruise in his left knee, according to the Cavs.

Mitchell apparently injured the knee during the Cavaliers’ Jan. 28 double-overtime loss in Chicago. He missed the following two games against Dallas and Detroit.

The team said it will re-evaluate Mitchell’s status over the weekend.

Mitchell, a five-time All-Star, is the heartbeat of this team. With Mitchell leading the way, the Cavs went 18-3 from Jan. 1 up to the All-Star break. Mitchell was the Eastern Conference Player of the Month in January.

Mitchell is averaging 28 points per game, and career highs in rebounds (5.4), assists (6.2) and steals (1.8).

The upcoming schedule won’t provide much mercy.

On March 5, the Cavs host the Boston Celtics, who hold the best record in the NBA. Then they fly to Atlanta for the second night of the back-to-back. Two nights later, they’re back at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to host the Minnesota Timberwolves, the top team in the Western Conference.

Mitchell isn’t the only banged-up Cavalier right now.

Caris LeVert is listed as questionable for the March 5 matchup with the Celtics, after missing Sunday night’s game against the Knicks due to a right-elbow sprain. Max Strus is out with a right-knee strain.

Meanwhile, Isaac Okoro is questionable for the Celtics matchup due to a left-elbow sprain.

With Mitchell out, the Cavs will have to lean on Darius Garland, who is averaging 18.4 points and 6.1 assists per game this season. Craig Porter Jr. also should see increased playing time. We’ll see what else J.B. Bickerstaff has up his sleeve as the week progresses.

Darius Garland 2

‘He’s just getting comfortable’: Darius Garland is looking more like himself

/ , , , , , , , , , , / 0 Comments

Darius Garland’s first game back after fracturing his jaw was Jan. 31 against the Pistons. Up until the last few games, though, it hasn’t felt like Garland has been back.

Considering how smoothly the offense flowed when Donovan Mitchell was running the point in Garland’s six-week absence, his role on the team going forward has been the subject of much debate.

Adding fuel to the fire, Garland just hasn’t looked like himself since returning.

At his best, Garland is a quick, crafty, elusive slasher who can create his own shot and score on demand. Garland is a perimeter threat as well, and he hit 41% of his 3-point attempts last season (a career high). Complementing his scoring capabilities, Garland is a gifted passer, and has been among the league leaders in assists for the past two seasons (he ranked seventh in the NBA last year and sixth in 2021-2022).

Since coming back from a broken jaw that he suffered in a collision with Kristaps Porzingis on Dec. 14, Garland has struggled to find a rhythm. In his first game back, on Jan. 31, Garland score 19 points in 20 minutes. The next night in Memphis, he had nine points in 24 minutes, although he dished out seven assists.

In a Feb. 7 win at Washington, Garland had 13 points and four assists in 28 minutes.

Garland has looked tentative, especially when driving to the basket. That’s completely understandable in my view. I can’t imagine a more painful or frustrating sports injury than a fractured jaw. I’d be a little gun-shy too. But to make matters worse, his perimeter shots haven’t been falling either.

Fortunately, it seems like the fifth-year guard is starting to turn a corner.

In the Cavaliers’ double-overtime loss in Chicago on Feb. 28, Garland was 7-of-14 from 3-point range in a 23-point performance. And that was just a warmup for Friday’s game in Detroit.

Against the Pistons, Garland hit eight 3-pointers and led the Cavs to a 110-100 win without Mitchell in the lineup. Garland finished with a game-high 29 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists.

Garland is a 38.5% career 3-point shooter. When his shot is falling – he was a scorching 8-of-12 from 3-point range in Detroit – it puts defenders in a bind.

“It makes people have to chase him and make tough decisions,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters after the March 1 win in Detroit. “Now you have to decide if you want to trap him, if you want to switch, and then all that does is create advantages for us in other places. And he’s such a willing passer, if you trap him he’ll get off of it and now we’re playing 4-on-3 advantage basketball. So we love it, we love to see him be aggressive and get as many 3’s up as he can.”

Bickerstaff had a good perspective on Garland’s progress since returning from the jaw injury, and the unique challenges of having your jaw wired shut for a few weeks.

“He’s just getting comfortable, that’s one of the things,” Bickerstaff said. “In the middle of a season to just completely have to pause – and remember, he couldn’t do anything. He couldn’t lift a weight, he couldn’t touch a basketball. And then he had to work his way back, and you gotta kind of ramp yourself back up.”

For Garland, it was almost like being in training camp again.

“But again, we don’t have time to stop, and he’s just been going game after game,” Bickerstaff added. ” … And I think what you’re seeing now is his confidence is growing, his teammates continue to feed in his success, and he continues to help them. So he’s Darius, and he’s who we expected him to be.”

As the Cavaliers grind through a grueling post-All-Star-break schedule, the real return of Darius Garland should be a welcome sight for Cavs fans.

1 2
en_USEnglish
en_USEnglish