NBA: 30 reasons to be excited for 2019-20 season

29. Cleveland’s attempt at a dynamic backcourt

The Cleveland Cavaliers inspired the scratching of a few heads with the selection of Darius Garland fifth overall in the 2019 draft. An argument could be made for the former Vanderbilt guard as the best player available, but the selection creates a risky dynamic that could pay off greatly down the line.

Garland will now slot alongside Collin Sexton in the backcourt for the Cavaliers. A reigning member of the All-Rookie Second Team, Sexton was an impressive rookie last year, shooting 40.2 percent from beyond the arc on his way to 16.7 points and 3.0 assists per game.

With limited defensive potential and only so many shots to go around, the latest backcourt experiment in Cleveland has the potential to go awry. Neither Garland nor Sexton stands above 6’2” with less than six assists combined per game last year — Sexton in the NBA and Garland in college.

Of course, we’ve seen the success this type of pairing could have in the Pacific Northwest with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. We’ve also seen it fail to gain much traction in Texas with Luka Doncic and Dennis Smith Jr.

Only time will tell which way Cleveland’s talented guards sway. Whether good or bad, it’ll certainly be worth watching them bring excitement and — potentially — relevance back to the Cavaliers.