NBA role players who could become stars elsewhere: 7. Darius Garland
One of the true blossoming stars in the league, Darius Garland is getting a chance to finally show exactly the kind of player he can be. The rosters that the Cleveland Cavaliers have put out in recent years have complicated the process of figuring out what each player is capable of. Now, without Collin Sexton out of the lineup, Garland has been thrown into the fire.
After years of dealing with injuries, Garland is finally experiencing some form of stability. He is averaging 18.7 points, 7.1 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. His shooting percentage has dipped slightly, but that comes with him attempting 2.4 more 3-point attempts per game. Garland got the stamp of approval from Stephen Curry before the season and has ridden that wave to the best start to his career.
This is the perfect example of a star being able to blossom as an actual star when showcased in another market. For better or worse, it typically takes a generational talent to bring the national spotlight to Cleveland. While Evan Mobley may yet be that Garland could truly explode to stardom even faster than he already is. Much has been made about the “SexLand” backcourt and it is somewhat telling that the team is seeing success with Collin Sexton out of the lineup.