Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 predictions for the 2019-20 NBA season
By Tony Pesta
3. Darius Garland top-3 in Rookie of the Year voting
Darius Garland is the most interesting member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The fifth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft has been praised as a promising young point guard. Will the Cavaliers manage to bring out the best in Garland?
His sample size in college is small, but it leads us to believe that DG will waste no time transitioning to the NBA level. He averaged 16.2 points on 53.7 percent shooting, shaking defenders with his shifty handle.
Garland also proved to be a deadly 3-point shooter. In just five games with Vanderbilt, Garland connected on 11-of-23 deep attempts to make him one of the most efficient shooters in college. His pure stroke has been the focal point of a few offseason highlight clips as fans build hype around the rookie.
On his own, Garland is a gifted scorer with a tight handle and limitless range. However, his rookie season will be complicated as he will need to blend in alongside his backcourt running mate, Collin Sexton.
These two guards will be tasked with meshing together. Though neither one has proven to be an exceptional playmaker or defender, their offensive potential gives head coach John Beilein reason to start them together.
As Garland and Sexton grow comfortable together they will be able to play off of each other and rack up easy points. A future All-Star duo is being formed in Cleveland and Garland may become the face of the franchise in due time.
For now, we can expect Garland to compete heavily in the Rookie of the Year race. The competition is stacked with names such as Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and RJ Barrett ahead of him. Still, Garland is being primed for an explosive rookie season that will crown him as a top-three rookie.