The Cleveland Cavaliers need more from Darius Garland

The Cleveland Cavaliers are rolling into the back half of the season with a league-best 18-2 record since January. One player, however, has not been riding the same wave. That player is Darius Garland.

It has been a confusing, injury-riddled season for Garland. He’s averaging numbers that are down almost all across the board from the previous two seasons while shooting a career-worst 33% from the three-point line. His impact hasn’t been the same, leaving Garland as the one player looking out for his ideal role with the team.

His importance as the lead ball handler has dwindled by Donovan Mitchell revamping their offensive approach. The new-look Cavs are a space-and-pace team that values ball movement and volume shooting. While Garland appears to be a seamless fit in this type of system, the results have varied.

The Cavs look their best when the ball is being shared. For the first quarter of the season, Cleveland ranked just 18th in passes with an overall record below .500. But, during Garland’s absence from Dec. 15 to late January, the Cavaliers passed the rock more than any team in the NBA. Unsurprisingly, the Cavs also held the best record in the league for this stretch.

Since Garland’s return, Cleveland is seventh in passes per game. While many other factors influence their overall play — the increase in ball movement feels like the biggest adjustment Garland is still struggling to make. It feels like he is the one keeping the ball from continuing to flow.

This might seem odd for a playmaker as gifted as Garland. It’s important to note the difference between being a talented on-ball creator and learning how to impact the game without it.

Last season, Garland held the ball an average of 5.7 seconds per touch — the fourth highest in the NBA. This year, even with Cleveland’s shift in offensive approach, Garland still ranks in the top-10 for average time of possession. All this to say, Garland is a ball-dominant guard who rarely has to play away from the rock.

Naturally, this is a concern when pairing Garland next to another high-usage player in Mitchell. Yet, Mitchell had the 10th-highest usage rate in the NBA last season and that did not stop the Cavaliers from being a 51-win team. Nor did it impact any of the advanced analytics for when both guards shared the floor — all of which suggest the Garland/Mitchell pairing is an explosive one.

So what’s the catch? Well, anyone who watched the Cavs last year could sense a bit of “your turn, my turn,” from the Cavs’ backcourt. A one-two punch that worked separately, with one guard taking charge while the other sat back until it was his turn to strike. Considering Cleveland’s offense was much more stagnant last season, this only made sense.

But things have changed. The ball is humming around the floor and with great success. An onus has now been placed on Garland to adapt. To quote LeBron James, it’s time to fit in rather than fit out.

Progress has been made. For example, Garland’s average time of possession has decreased from 6.8 seconds before his fractured jaw to 4.7 since. In the process, Garland has cleaned up his assist/turnover ratio. Improving from a potential career-low to among the league’s best during this stretch.

Garland is still shooting below his averages but previous seasons suggest that Garland can be a lethal off-ball threat. In 2023, he shot 44% on catch-and-shoot three-pointers. This was the ninth-best mark of any player to attempt 150+ threes. So far this year, Garland is shooting just 19-of-63 (30%) on catch-and-shoot attempts.

The Cavs need Garland to step it up. This means not only finding his range but embracing being an off-ball presence. Far too often can Garland be found straggling the half-court line when the ball is out of his hands. It’s time to get involved in the action and maximize his team’s potential.

For this team to be at its best in the playoffs, Cleveland needs Garland to be someone who Mitchell can lean on to relieve pressure. He needs to be an evolved version of the guy who made an All-Star team just two years ago. His on-ball work and decision-making will be crucial, but so will the other skills Garland hasn’t fully fleshed out yet. Garland has to prove he is capable of being more.