3 keys for the Cleveland Cavaliers after losing Rubio and Sexton

3 keys for the Cleveland Cavaliers after losing Rubio and Sexton: Darius Garland’s usage will go through the roof

It is never a good idea to put too much pressure on any single player to carry the bulk of an offense. But, sometimes the NBA calls for stars to step up.

Darius Garland is easily the most capable shot creator and distributor in Cleveland. If he wants his team to reach the postseason, he’ll have to accept the challenge of playing heavy minutes and doing most of the work offensively.

Luckily, Garland is not the only scorer on the Cavaliers. He’s just their only true playmaker, outside of Rajon Rondo.

With shooters like Cedi Osman, Kevin Love, Dean Wade, and Lauri Markkanen surrounding him, as well as lob-threats in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, Garland will have plenty to work with.

The only problem is, he is going to have to do a lot of work.

J.B. Bickerstaff has built an all-around team culture in Cleveland that has them seventh in assists and passing this season. However, barring a breakout from another member of the team, Garland’s usage will have to spike in order to keep the Cavaliers scoring.

I would not suggest they go the Houston Rockets route of spamming pick-and-rolls every possession, but getting Garland in as much of the action as physically possible is the only option for Cleveland.

Garland is currently averaging 19.5 points and 7.3 assists on a usage rate of 25.1, which is just the 35th highest rate of any player to appear in 25 games this season (below the likes of Cameron Payne). There is clearly room to ramp up DG’s usage.

He has been bursting with potential all year and there are certainly some shots he has been leaving on the table. Specifically, Garland should hunt out his mid-range shot more often, where he is making over 52 percent of his attempts (69 percent of his makes being unassisted).

There is no way around it – DG needs to be aggressive in order to keep the Cavaliers moving forward.