Now I personally have never been a big fan of Darius Garland but have always been aware of how well rounded a point guard he is. He’s not jumping out of the gym like Ja Morant or running off the ball 70-80 percent of the time like Stephen Curry but he does everything you could ask for from a point guard in today’s era where floor spacing and being a quick decision maker on the court is crucial, specially when the playoffs come around. Garland is averaging right around 22 ppg 3 rpg and just about 8 apg which are obviously all-star level numbers but what sets him apart from every other point guard in the NBA including the Steph’s,Ja’s,Luka’s,Shai’s,Trae’s,and Paul’s of the world is that he has the rare combination of being a pure shooter,elite ball handler,and is an absolute floor general on the court; and given the pieces he has around him anyone who believes he can’t carry this Cavaliers roster on deep playoff run this season and beyond is kidding themselves. When Donovan Mitchell came on board I like many was a bit puzzled by the move but with the ascension of Darius Garland it’s all clicking for me now as to why Cavs general manager Mike Gansey made the bold move for the former Utah Jazz star; who grew disgruntled by the day facing the illusion of Rudy Gobert eventually taking the needed step offensively in order for the Jazz to get over the hump in the playoffs.
Darius Garland is one of those players who is going to make an impact on any franchise he ever ends up playing for at the NBA level; I myself haven’t been convinced of the Cleveland Cavaliers all season even knowing Donovan Mitchell is on the roster because I just can’t get over the fact that Evan Mobley is far from a finished product but come to think of it I’m starting to accept that maybe Evan never becomes an elite offensive player at the NBA level; I mean the 26-28 point 13-17 rebound outputs here and then make you wonder if he could only do that consistently he would easily be one of the top 10 players in the NBA right now, specially considering he’s already elite on the defensive side of the ball. But that’s where Darius Garland steps in, for the past 2-3 seasons since Darius and Evan came on board the LeBron-Cavs reunion rumors just won’t go away but maybe we should take Darius’s up on his words of looking forward to building something in Cleveland without LeBron having to be in the picture. I mean I get it LeBron is from Akron,Ohio and has given 11 of the 20 years of his legendary career in the NBA to the Cleveland Cavaliers where he has won League MVP’s, and made historic playoff runs and moments but anyone who has thorough understanding of the history of the Cavs would understand they were quite formidable in the days of Ron Harper and Brad Daugherty in the late 80’s and early 90’s through the Michael Jordan era so it’s okay to envision the Cavs experiencing winning without LeBron James just like they are now but everyone feels they are still one piece away from seriously contending.
Well, I’m here to tell you that they aren’t one piece away and that they could very well win a championship over the next few years and they won’t need LeBron James to accomplish the feat. If Darius Garland can reach superstardom which is still up in the air the Cavs will be well on their way to competing for not only 1 title but maybe 2 or 3 from now to 2030 if Garland Mobley continue to get better and better. I am by no means implying that the Cavaliers will upset the Celtics,Bucks,Sixers,or Heat in the 2023 NBA Playoffs but I wouldn’t be shocked one bit if they somehow find themselves in the Conference Finals as soon as this season; even if they lack the playoff experience the other more seasoned postseason teams possess over them. If Darius Garland wasn’t the complete point-guard he is I wouldn’t even have the Cavs pegged to make it past the first round over the next few years but this kid is the real deal. He’s capable of erupting for 40-50 points on any given night and can grow scorching hot from 3-point range throughout a game; and if his shot just so happens to be off; don’t worry he’s got enough dribble moves and footwork to put any defender on a blender,drive the lane, and look out down below or you’ll have the twin towers Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen slammin and jammin no look,behind the back, and lob passes orchestrated by none other than Darius himself.
Darius’s game is built for the playoffs, he puts you at ease when he has the ball in his hands because he carries the ball on a string much like basketball wizard Kyrie Irving who’s drawback when compared to Darius Garland is that he doesn’t see the floor as well as Darius nor is he a pure point guard like the 23-year old rising star. Kyrie Irving’s offensive arsenal is mind-blowing and second to none but so far in his career without LeBron James he’s been sort of exposed as far as having the innate ability to shoulder an entire offense on his shoulders, Darius on the other hand is proving right before our own eyes that he is the driving force behind the Cavs’ charge. This Cavs team will go as Garland goes and I believe he’ll have several games in the playoffs this season which will show us just exactly what’s to come for him and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the future. I won’t predict Darius becomes the best point guard in the game after this post-season but he’ll make it hard to make an argument for anyone else going forward into next season and beyond. The Cavs have set him up with a strong supporting cast for years to come to make something special, he’s got a running mate in Mitchell who’s the ideal fall-back option on offense and Evan Mobley who will never become a Anthony Davis but if he can even become 60-70 percent of what AD is that will cut it. Get your popcorn ready, Darius Garland will be shattering playoff aspirations for many soon.
D-NBA 