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Okay, I wanna set some things straight with Darius Garland... it’s a complicated situation.
Welcome to another thread by everyone’s favorite... @BraydenBallin
Welcome to another thread by everyone’s favorite... @BraydenBallin
First off the simple stuff... Darius Garland was Cleveland’s starting point guard this last season. Not Collin Sexton. Idk why some people didn’t get that. He’s 6’1” 175 lbs. That’s small for a PG... but there’s been a ton of successful small PGs in the NBA.
The problem is, Sexton is 6’1” 190 lbs. That’s also small for a PG. For a SG? Tiny. That backcourt spells disaster for the Cavs defensively... and it did. All season. Portland & Toronto’s backcourts are exceptions.
The Blazers’ guards are sieves defensively (both are bigger than Garland & Sexton as well), but incredibly elite offensively. Toronto has a backcourt with 2 basketball geniuses that have more stocky builds than either Garland or Sexton will ever have.
Safe to say, defense will never be a strong suit for this backcourt, but moving on... passing. Sexton isn’t pass first, he may never be. However this year, that wasn’t his primary responsibility. Garland was the floor general.
Through 2019, he averaged 2.9 asts/game. Unacceptable numbers for a starting PG; however, In 2020, DG upped that to 5.1 asts/game. Once he got in a groove, he became a competent passer, but playmaking was never regarded as a high skill of Garland, and again... it may never be one
So those are the drawbacks with Garland, and they’re critical ones in regards to Cleveland’s situation... but what are the positives? Coming out of college, Garland’s 2 standout abilities were his deep-range off-the-dribble shotmaking and a crafty dribble package.
He disapointed in both areas his rookie year... Garland shot just 35.5% from 3. His form looked stellar. The shots just didn’t fall. Don’t count on that continueing. As he adjusts to the bright lights of the NBA & it all slows down for him, DG should be an elite shooter.
His handles are special... he’s able to create space from defenders with ease. The burst was lacking in his game, though. Garland often struggled to capitalize on the space he created and get by the opponent. This definitely neutralized a key component of his game.
Here’s where the context matters. Garland played 4 college games, before tearing his meniscus 2 mins into his 5th. It’s worth noting that Vanderbilt went 4-0 in Garland’s 4 full games, and 5-23 the rest of the season.
Garland didn’t return that season. He didn’t play in summer league. At the start of the season, he was thrust into the starting lineup of a poor-fitting backcourt for a coach that was out of place in the NBA. DG has said he never felt 100% or like himself the entire season.
I have a strong belief that Garland will bounce back next season. Do I think he’s an NBA player? Absolutely. Do I think he’s the long-term option next to Sexton in Cleveland’s backcourt? Honestly, no. The chances of it being effective are slim.
I’d like to see him run off the bench next season. Give him some more confidence, see what he can do with the freedom of being #1 option for the reserves without as much of a defensive burden.
I don’t want him traded. It’s too soon. His potential is high. Let’s not trade him while his value is low...
To this day, I still have zero regrets taking Garland 5th overall last year. Let’s see if he can pay off on that bet.
To this day, I still have zero regrets taking Garland 5th overall last year. Let’s see if he can pay off on that bet.
