Darius Garland has been a revelation for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He, along with Colin Sexton, has given this franchise building blocks to work with as they push through this rebuilding era of theirs. His production has only improved as he’s taken on more responsibilities for the team.
Against another surprisingly good team in the Washington Wizards, Garland put on a show. He almost posted a triple-double of 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists on ridiculously efficient shooting, as the Cavs handily beat the Wizards 116 – 101. That statline of his put him in some elite company in franchise history. (via StatMuse)
Darius Garland joined Cavs legends LeBron James and Kyrie Irving as the only age-22 or younger players to post a stat line of 30/8/10 in a game. That’s an encouraging sign for a franchise that has been searching for their next star since the departure of LeBron from the team. Garland’s ability to impact the game in more ways than scoring has been a blessing for this franchise.
These kind of performances from their young core is what propelled the Cavs to a 13-10 record entering the second week of December Garland, along with rookie Evan Mobley, has been the core of this team’s success. Colin Sexton’s unfortunate season-ending injury may have dampened some of the hype, but the team has continued chugging along thanks to Garland’s performance.
For a franchise that hasn’t seen success without LeBron James, Darius Garland is a godsend. His encouraging performances should give Cavs fans hope that they could be great in the future. A few more years, and we might see another Cavs legend bring this franchise back into title contention.