CLEVELAND, Ohio – “I do see it.”
That’s what Mark Price said when I asked about similarities between himself and current Cavs point guard Darius Garland.
I made the call to Price in Atlanta when thinking about this week’s NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland. Garland made it for the first time. This is his third NBA season. Price’s first All-Star appearance was in 1989, his third NBA season.
Both point guards are in the 6-foot range. Garland seems to have unlimited shooting range, and so did Price.
“The difference is they have a lot more freedom to fire away from the 3-point line than we did,” said Price. “A couple of times, I averaged about five 3-pointers a game. That was a lot.”
Garland is taking 6.7 shots from 3-point range. The Cavs wouldn’t mind him shooting even more. I’ve heard analytics suggest he should take up to eight per game.
Free throw excellence is another common trait for the two guards. Garland is 100-of-110 this season (.907). For his career, Price was .904 from the foul line. That’s third all-time behind Stephen Curry and Steve Nash.
Garland’s career mark is .876.
SLOW STARTS
“One difference is Darius was a lottery pick,” said Price. “I was a second-round pick. After my first season, I wasn’t sure if I was going to last in the NBA.”
Price was the least mentioned of the 1986 Cavs rookie class. The big three were Brad Daugherty, Ron Harper and John “Hot Rod” Williams. Another rookie in that class was Johnny Newman, who was waived after his first season and ended up with a 16-year NBA career.
I covered the Cavs for the Akron Beacon Journal during most of Price’s career. As a rookie, he looked much thinner than his listed weight of 170. His shot was pure, taught to him by his father Denny Price – a former college coach.
But Price had problems on defense. In college, he led his Georgia Tech team in scoring at 20.3 points per game. The other top scorer for the Yellow Jackets was another future NBA player, John Salley (11.5). Price had to carry the offense.
He was still learning point-guard skills when he came to Cleveland. With three rookies in the lineup – Daugherty, Williams and Harper – coach Lenny Wilkens was more comfortable with veteran John Bagley starting at point guard.
Price was the backup, averaging 6.9 points and shooting only .402 from the field in 18 minutes a game.
The next season, the Cavs had their own doubts about Price. They made California point guard Kevin Johnson the No. 7 pick in the 1987 draft.
“I’m not sure if it was true for Darius, but my career was in doubt,” said Price.
GARLAND’S EARLY STRUGGLES
Unlike Price, the Cavs made the decision to start Garland as a rookie. He was only 19. He had played a mere five games at Vanderbilt (139 college minutes). The guard then had MCL knee surgery.
The Cavs had a private workout with Garland, where he “blew away” GM Koby Altman and new Cleveland coach John Beilein with his shooting range. They made him the No. 5 pick in the draft. He had another minor knee surgery before his rookie season opened.
Garland wasn’t physically ready for the NBA. He looked slow (probably because of the knee). He wasn’t sure how to find teammates with passes. Defensively, he had problems.
I recall Price and Garland both having a hard time as rookies, losing track of the 24-second clock along with setting up the offense. There were doubts about Garland being a long-term starting point guard.
GOING TO WORK
Price and Garland both became physically stronger and better players in the summers between their first and second NBA seasons.
“I learned how to become a point guard, getting my big men involved,” said Price.
Bagley was traded before Price’s second season. The Cavs let Price and Kevin Johnson battle for the starting job. Price dominated Johnson, who looked a lot like Price and Garland as a rookie.
Former Cavs GM Wayne Embry once told me how being a rookie point guard in the NBA was like being a rookie QB in the NFL. The player can feel overwhelmed. In the middle of Price’s second season, Johnson was traded to Phoenix as part of the Larry Nance deal.
“We suddenly had three big men with Brad (Daugherty), Hot Rod (Williams) and Larry Nance,” said Price. “Those guys took care of me on defense. I had to make sure they felt part of the offense.”
Garland also established himself as an NBA starter in his second season, averaging 17.4 points and 6.1 assists.
“You begin to understand the game in your second year,” said Price.
BECOMING ALL-STARS
It was in Price’s third season when former Detroit star Isiah Thomas said, “He became the mouse that roared.” Price averaged 19 points and 8.4 assists, shooting .526 (.441 on 3-pointers). He became an All-Star.
“That was the year we had the best record at the All-Star break,” said Price. “I made the team with Brad and Larry Nance. I remember thinking about how I was almost out of the league, and then I was there with Larry Bird and all those guys.”
Price said he didn’t believe Garland would have the same “feeling of awe” as he did at his first All-Star Game. But Price said he didn’t realize how Garland had many doubters after his rookie season.
“If that’s the case, it will be even more special,” said Price.
Price discussed how Garland has learned to handle his own big men – Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Lauri Markkanen.
“He found a way to get them to follow him, to trust him,” said Price. “That’s a big part of being a point guard. He knows how to get them the ball. They are willing to follow him.”
Garland is averaging 20 points and 8.0 assists, and shooting .443 from the field (.377 on 3-pointers). A difference is Garland is only 22 – the same age as Price when he was a rookie. Price went on to make four All-Star teams.
“They come into the NBA so young now,” said Price. “All he has to do is stay, and Darius is going to be a star for a long time. I really like his game.”
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