Cleveland Cavaliers: Which rookie will have the greatest impact?

1. Darius Garland

In a controversial move, the Cleveland Cavaliers elected to select Darius Garland with the No. 5 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. This marked back-to-back seasons in which the franchise selected an undersized point guard in the top 10 of the draft. Why would they do this? Well, Garland was simply too talented to pass up.

Garland didn’t play much in his freshman season for Vanderbilt, but he left a mark on scouts. An extremely creative offensive player with limitless range and an array of dribble moves, Garland is exactly what NBA teams are looking for from a point guard nowadays.

In just five games at Vanderbilt, Garland solidified himself as a lottery pick in the draft by averaging 16.2 points and knocking in 11-of-23 attempts from the 3-point line. His offensive game looks silky smooth and helped him draw comparisons to former Cleveland star, Kyrie Irving.

Of course, drafting Garland comes with a price. The Cavaliers now have to figure out how Garland will fit alongside Collin Sexton. The two guards could compliment each other well on offense, but neither has shown a knack for playmaking and opposing backcourts will be salivating to attack them at the defensive end.

There is potential for Garland to become a deadly scorer for the Cavaliers, but, there is also a scenario in which his fit alongside Sexton becomes a nightmare. For better or worse, Garland will have the biggest impact on this team.