Positives and negatives from Cleveland Cavaliers first half of season

Positive – Darius Garland

It took some time but Darius Garland is looking like a cornerstone for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Garland made noise during his freshman season of college by drilling 3-pointers at a high rate. He was deceptive off the dribble and had a quick release that made it difficult for opponents to defend. His limitless range helped him become a lottery pick.

The Cavaliers hoped that combining Garland with another scorer in Collin Sexton would give them a star backcourt like the Portland Trail Blazers have with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.

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Neither Garland or Sexton have shown as much potential as the Portland duo, but these two have been on a hot streak lately. Most notably, Garland is showing much-needed growth. He has embraced his role as the point guard, averaging 6.0 assists per game in January.

He is making an effort to find his teammates. Scoring has become Garland’s second option and has actually made him a more efficient scorer. During this stretch, DG is putting up nearly 16 points a night.

For the second half of the season, Garland should look to keep honing his skills as a playmaker. As he continues to develop, the rest of the game will come naturally to him.