The first two seasons of Darius Garland‘s career have been bumpy with an underwhelming rookie season and a promising sophomore stint. Anyone who has been watching the Cleveland Cavaliers can see the glimmers of promise that DG has been flashing the entire time — but next season should be the year he finally breaks out.
Garland took a massive step forward in the 2020-21 NBA season by flaunting his ability to be the primary ball-handler and a streaky 3-point shooter. His craftiness and efficiency allowed him to average career-highs in both points (17.4) and assists (6.1). He had eight games of 25+ points, which is eight more than he did as a rookie.
The stage is set for Darius Garland to have his best season yet as the Cleveland Cavaliers surround him with enough talent to maximize his skill set.
The Cavaliers settled their backcourt issues by allowing Garland to fulfill his role as a true point guard while Collin Sexton took on more off-ball responsibilities. This worked well at times due to Sexton’s blazing speed on backdoor cuts while Garland’s talent as a live-action passer allowed the two to connect on quite a few plays.
Aside from generally developing his physical build, Garland also benefited last season from an increase in confidence. He looked more sure of himself, attempting shots and passes he otherwise strayed from in his first season. This boost to his morale really brought out the best in Garland once he got rolling.
He’s earned the respect of others across the league. The 2017 Defensive Player of the Year, Draymond Green, even named Garland as one of the toughest players for him to defend. His tight handle and incredible ability to change directions make Garland a deadly perimeter player. Garland even earned recognition from Team USA, appearing in a few exhibition games for them during the summer. It feels as if Garland is only a step away from breaking out into an All-Star caliber player.
Garland did most of his damage in the mid-range last season — utilizing a soft floater and occasionally forcing his way to the rim with scoop layups. He was especially effective when a big switched onto him, showcasing his explosive first step and hesitation moves to blow by them with ease.
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One thing holding Garland back is his production from behind the 3-point line. He’s a prolific shooter, connecting on 39.5 percent of his attempts last season. However, he lacks the volume needed to truly expand his game. DG hoisted just 4.9 3-pointers per game, which is actually fewer than his rookie season and placed him 71st in the league for attempts among guards.
This is an issue that plagued the entire Cavs’ roster last year as the team ranked 28th in 3-point shooting as a whole. But, it is clear Garland is a far better shooter than advertised thus far and upping his usage from deep would likely help everybody.
In particular, Garland’s 3-point shooting could be the key to making sure the Cavaliers hit their ceiling next season. The spacing might be tight at times with players like Jarrett Allen, Isaac Okoro and Evan Mobley sharing the floor alongside Sexland. Having at least one shot creator who can punish opponents from deep will go a long way for this limited roster.
Once Garland accomplishes that it will be nearly impossible to contain him. He’s a gifted passer who will make it too difficult to trap him on pick-and-rolls. You can’t go under the screens and if you switch a bigger defender onto Garland then you’re screwed either way.
Again, the lack of shooting across the roster will restrict Garland’s potential to truly wreak havoc as an offensive weapon. The addition of Mobley will give him another target for ariel passes and there is a chance he can step out to at least the mid-range right away to provide a bit more spacing in the paint.
Regardless, DG is gearing up for his third and best season to date. The path is cleared for him to shine and I think plenty of more people around the NBA will become familiar with Darius Garland by the end of the year.