NBA Rookie Ladder: No Zion Williamson, no problem

9. Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers

9.5 PPG, 1.3 REB, 3.5 AST

There aren’t a lack of question marks surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ roster, especially around veterans who could find themselves on the move by the trade deadline, including Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson.

One thing that’s for certain is that the team likely has its backcourt of the future in Darius Garland as well as fellow combo guard Collin Sexton.

Seeing how these two mesh together and fit not just on offense but defensively is the club’s top priority at the moment, and so far so good in terms of complementary styles.

Garland’s off-ball shooting and scoring instincts are starting to gel with Sexton, as he’s much better creating on the ball both for himself and others.

It’s not that Garland can’t be utilized as a playmaker, rather his role is better suited for other responsibilities when Sexton is on the floor.

Shooting is at a premium in today’s NBA, and Garland’s range gives him plenty of room to make deep looks that some players can’t. Stretching the floor for Sexton to better operate on drives to the basket is a nice touch for a team looking to expand offensively.

Defensively the pair isn’t primed to suffocate any opposing guard tandem. But as long as they play with enough awareness and funnel matchups where they’re supposed to in the paint, they can operate without being a huge negative to the Cavs’ efforts.