The Cleveland Cavaliers are hoping for a breakout sophomore season from Darius Garland – and his future with the team might depend on it.
In the wake of Darius Garland‘s disappointing rookie season, much of the attention has shifted to more exciting young players like Collin Sexton, Kevin Porter Jr. and Isaac Okoro. This has Garland gearing up for a redemption tour. And, truthfully, the young guard might not have any other choice. Time is running out for Garland to prove he can coexist alongside Sexton and become a cornerstone for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
This might not be fair for Garland. After all, he’s only 20 years old and entering his second season. But, circumstance has put the former lottery pick in the hot seat as fans grow impatient with the Cavaliers rebuilding project. It’s been three years since LeBron James took his talents to Los Angeles and the Cavs still don’t have a clear vision for the future. With back-to-back tragic seasons and no solidified building blocks in place – Cleveland is approaching desperation mode.
The franchise was hopeful that pairing Sexton with another offensive-oriented guard like Garland could create an electric backcourt. Similar to Portland’s two-man system of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, the Cavs believed the offensive output of Garland and Sexton could outweigh the rest of their problems.
Sadly, that hasn’t been the case thus far. The pairing ranked as one of the worst duo’s in the entire league last season in nearly every advanced statistic. Their win/loss record matched the analytics, with the Cavs falling to dead last in the Eastern Conference. While it’s still early for both guards, another failed season could force Cleveland’s hand into splitting the pair up. This could mean adjusting rotations – or trading one altogether.
Garland’s performance next season will be pivotal in deciding which path Cleveland decides to take. A strong individual run could push him to the forefront of the rebuild. Finding a way to thrive alongside Sexton would be even better – laying down the foundation for the team to continue building around this duo. However, none of that will be possible if Garland fails to have a breakout season.
Darius Garland’s progression into year 2 with the Cleveland Cavaliers
As a rookie, Garland averaged just 12.3 points and 3.9 assists on underwhelming shooting percentages. He was horrid defensively and lacked the explosive shiftiness that made him a top-five pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Consequently, a decent chunk of the fan base has begun to lose faith in Garland.
Thankfully, there are a few indications that Garland can look like an entirely different player this year. For starters, Garland himself has admitted that he never felt like himself as a rookie. He cites a knee injury that caused him to miss the majority of his collegiate career as the core reason for his slow start in the NBA.One of his goals this offseason was to get in the weight room and make a full recovery from his setback.
According to Kelsey Russo of The Athletic (Subscription Required), Garland spent this summer with Cleveland’s strength training staff. His work must have paid off, as head coach J.B. Bickerstaff stated Garland looked much more aggressive on the defensive end and showed an increased shiftiness on offense. Overall, his change in physical appearance has Bickerstaff ready to place heavier expectations on Garland next year.
This matches up with a recent quote from Larry Nance Jr. in which he told media members that Garland was “far and away” the best player during their mini-camp. Whether or not this was a ploy to build Garland’s confidence remains to be seen – but it’s an encouraging statement, to say the least.
Before the season was cut short, Garland began to hit his stride as a distributor – dishing over 5.0 assists per game in his final three months. In terms of scoring, he showed short flashes of offensive brilliance, giving us reason to hope for a breakout sophomore run from Garland this year.
Garland joined the Cavs with high potential to be an elite shot creator and scorer. In rhythm, he plays with a natural fluidity that resembles some of the best guards in the league. It’s important that he continues to put on more muscle but the raw potential to elevate the Cleveland Cavaliers’ offense is there for Garland.