3 Cleveland Cavaliers takeaways from a shaky season thus far

2. Darius Garland requires patience

Darius Garland may not have been the best fit for the Cleveland Cavaliers but he was the most talented player left on the board at No. 5 in the 2019 NBA Draft.

In college, Garland was a shifty scorer with the capabilities of pulling up from anywhere within half-court. His quick, fluid release made him a threat at all-times and he displayed a crafty touch in the paint with his floaters.

So far in the NBA, his offensive talents have taken a while to translate. Through his first 10 games, Garland averaged just 8.6 points on 32.7 percent shooting from the floor.

The rookie was being too passive. He seemed reluctant to shoot open shots and was often overthinking things with the ball in his hands. It appeared that the speed of the NBA game was having a heavy effect on the young player who had just spent months in recovery from a knee injury.

https://twitter.com/cavs/status/1200766188009209857

As his coach and teammates have encouraged him to increase his shot attempts, Garland has begun to find success.

Over his last 10 games, Garland is putting up an improved 12.9 points per game on 42.5 percent shooting from the field and has hit 24-of-54 (44.4 percent) attempts from deep. He recently scored a career-high 23 points and drilled five 3-pointers versus the Dallas Mavericks.

Hopefully, this will be a turning point for Garland. However, it should come as no surprise if this 19-year old point guard continues to struggle as he navigates through his rookie season. He has shown us glimpses of promise thus far and we must be patient with him.