Cleveland Cavaliers are ready to go all-in on young core

Darius Garland

Many fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers were perplexed when the franchise selected Darius Garland with the No. 5 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Everyone wondered how drafting undersized point guards in back-to-back seasons would be beneficial to the team.

Of course, Garland has had his fair share of struggles to start the season. His fit alongside Collin Sexton has been strange from the jump and his confidence took a major hit. In his first 14 games, Garland averaged just 9.1 points on 33.8 percent shooting from the floor.

The deep-range dead eye struggled to find his rhythm early on. However, as his teammates have continued to build him up, Garland is beginning to improve. We must remember, he began his career fresh off a knee injury that ended his collegiate days.

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Since December, Garland is scoring 11.9 points per game on a much improved 42.7 percent shooting clip. He has drilled three or more 3-pointers in 5-of-15 games during this stretch and has looked like a completely different player.

Though he leads the team in assists, he is still far from being an elite playmaker. Much like Sexton, Garland is at his best when he is shooting the ball. My best comparison for Garland would be C.J. McCollum if his development continues to go well.