Darius Garland is only a year removed from his 21st birthday, but the youthful third-year guard is commanding the Cleveland Cavaliers to perfection.
The stakes could not be higher for Garland. His backcourt running mate and last year’s leading scorer, Collin Sexton, is out for the year with a meniscus injury, while the next man up, Ricky Rubio, is sidelined with a torn ACL.
Even Rajon Rondo, who was acquired in the wake of Rubio’s injury, has been on the bench for the last four games due to a hamstring setback. With everyone down, all of the pressure is on DG to deliver.
The Cleveland Cavaliers needed Darius Garland to lead the way, and the potential All-Star has more than risen to the occasion.
Since returning from the NBA’s Health and Safety protocols in early January, Garland has been averaging 20.8 points and 10.4 assists, and the Cavaliers have gone 6-2 during that stretch, with five consecutive wins.
During the Cavaliers’ league-high win streak, Garland recorded his first career triple-double in a victory over the Utah Jazz. He also scored 32 points against the San Antonio Spurs, dished out 18 assists versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, and notched 22 points and 12 assists to lead Cleveland past the Brooklyn Nets.
Darius Garland has 30 assists in his last 2 games, joining LeBron James as the only Cavs players with 30 assists in any 2-game span over the last 20 seasons. pic.twitter.com/wzSw0g9yMc
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 17, 2022
Garland has taken full command over the Cavaliers. He has the 14th highest usage rate of any player to total more than 170 minutes over the last five games, along with elite floor generals like LeBron James, Trae Young and Luka Doncic.
Isaac Orkoro, Garland’s teammate, explained just how important Garland is to the Cavaliers. He said that he literally controls the pace and play of the game (subscription required).
The young guard has generated 163 points off assists during his last five games. D’Angelo Russell is the next closest at 128 points assisted. Garland also leads the league in potential assists in this span with 110 potential dimes.
He dictates the flow of the offense almost entirely and has produced 48.1 percent of Cleveland’s points during the win streak (267 of 555 points). The next closest in this stretch is Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has generated 246 of Milwaukee’s 533 points (46.1 percent).
Darius Garland’s All-Star case is becoming hard to deny
Garland has done everything the Cleveland Cavaliers have asked for and more. Originally projected to win fewer than 28 games by most outlets, Cleveland is on a 50-win pace and has a legitimate shot at finishing with the best record in the Eastern Conference.
None of this would be possible without DG’s breakout performances. While Jarrett Allen is a near-lock for the All-Star Game and Evan Mobley is a frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, it is Garland who impacts the Cavaliers’ success the most.
The Cavs are a +293 in the 1,346 minutes Garland has been on the floor, by far the most of any player on the roster (Ricky Rubio is next at +184) and good for the fourth-highest in the NBA, behind Stephen Curry, Rudy Gobert, and Mike Conley.
Cleveland’s net Rrting jumps to 9.6 with DG, versus minus 2.5 without him. To no surprise, this also placed Garland in the league’s top 10 in that metric (minimum 30 games played).
Most importantly, Garland’s on-court flare matches the advanced analytics. He plays like an All-Star. Whether it be no-look dimes or ankle-breaking crossovers, DG is one of the most entertaining players in basketball.
With the 2022 All-Star Game taking place in Cleveland, it is only right that their leader is there to represent them in his first of many appearances.