If Sunday’s battle between Darius Garland and the Cleveland Cavaliers taking on Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz is any indication of the future of the NBA, the league is in good hands…
The duel between young guards was must watch viewing for fans in the crowd, as well as at home, with Mitchell and Garland trading buckets back and forth throughout the game.
This has been yet another step in the breakout season for the third-year guard from Vanderbilt. Following up a tremendous 32 point performance over the Washington Wizards on Friday night, Garland dazzled with 31 points on Sunday afternoon. Mitchell, on the other hand, was able to notch 35 points, leading all scorers.
The confidence in Garland’s game has been a welcome sight as the season has progressed, averaging two more three-point attempts per game this season than his previous two.
In the absence of Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton, Garland has done his best to fill the scoring void, averaging 22.6 points per game since the injury on November 7th. On top of stepping up as a scorer, he’s been the team’s leader as well.
"He's killing it. He's playing good basketball,” said Cavaliers wing Cedi Osman after the loss. “I mean, besides that, the way he reads the game, the way he puts players in the right spots, he's playing great right now. Obviously, he's our leader and we really need him to play like this."
For the Cavaliers to sustain their early-season success, Garland will have to keep leading the way for the team, both in 2021-22 and beyond.