Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 ways Darius Garland can become a star

3. Work smarter on defense

Darius Garland is never going to be a lockdown defender – it just isn’t in the cards for him. He is below league average for height at 6’1″ and doesn’t possess game-changing athleticism. It’s impossible to teach the x-factor that other elite defenders in his position like Patrick Beverley and Chris Paul have in their personality – instead, Garland will need to work smarter, not harder.

By using his IQ and positioning himself in places for success, Garland can at least hold his own defensively. Look at Stephen Curry, for example, a player who doesn’t have the physical tools needed to be a plus-defender but skates by due to his ability to play to his team’s strengths. Curry understands Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are superior defenders – so he does everything in his power to shift opponents in their direction.

This won’t be as easy for Garland seeing as how he doesn’t have a former Defensive Player of the Year or All-Defensive caliber talent on his team. The Cavaliers were one of the worst all-around defensive teams in the league and there is only so much the undersized guard can do to limit his opponent. Consequently, Garland’s weaknesses were on full display as he posted a Defensive Rating of 113.6 – placing him in the bottom 400 of the league.

Thankfully, Cleveland has been working to improve on this end of the floor. Though Andre Drummond wasn’t very effective at defending the rim in his first few games with the team – we have to expect that his size and athleticism will have a positive impact eventually. Plus, the Cavs will have a chance to gain a perimeter defender such as Isaac Okoro with the No. 5 pick in this year’s draft.

Garland will be in a much better position to defend at a higher level next season. With a little bit more aggression and a lot of time in the film room, Garland can become a reliable defender.