By james art The 2023-24 season was a strange one for the Cavaliers. It was especially strange for guard Darius Garland.
Garland suffered a broken jaw in a game against the Celtics in Boston on December 14. He returned to the lineup on Jan. 31 against the Pistons, 15 pounds lighter because he was on a liquid diet while his jaw healed.
Evan Mobley was out recovering from knee surgery at the same time Garland was out. Instead of collapsing without two starters in the lineup, the Cavs went 14-4 in what turned out to be their hottest stretch of the season.
The other part of the Garland saga last season was the uncertainty surrounding Donovan Mitchell’s future in Cleveland. Rumors that began as whispers in March that Garland would seek a trade if Mitchell signed an extension gained volume when the Cavs were eliminated by the Celtics in the second round of the playoffs. The thought behind those rumblings was that Garland and Mitchell were out of sync in the backfield.
“It’s not because Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell have latched onto each other, it’s because they don’t fit,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst wrote.
If Garland was ever in a bad place, he is now in a good place ahead of the 2024-25 season opener on Oct. 23 against the Raptors in Toronto. The Cavaliers will open their home season on Oct. 25 against the Detroit Pistons at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Mitchell signed a three-year contract extension in July. That didn’t stop Garland from asking to be traded. In fact, Garland said he went straight to president of basketball operations Kobe Altman to let Altman know those rumors didn’t originate with him.
“I told Kobe I want to be here,” Garland said during training camp. “I really don’t know where the rumor came from. Turns out it was definitely false.
“It’s great to see a star like Donovan committed to this team. He loves this city. We’re super excited to have him back and he’s happy to be here.”
The challenge of getting more from Garland and Mitchell remains.
Garland was an All-Star in 2021-22 when he averaged 35.7 minutes, 8.6 assists and 21.7 points per game. Mitchell was acquired in a trade with the Utah Jazz in September 2022. Garland’s 2022-23 numbers were very similar to his All-Star year of 35.5 minutes, 7.8 assists and 21.6 points, but the focus , especially at the national level, moved from Garland to Mitchell. Mitchell was a three-time All-Star in his five years with the Jazz.
“This will be our third year together and we make a leap every year,” Garland said. “A lot of people don’t see what we have off the court, we have a real relationship off the court. This is my brother.”
Garland attempted 6.2 3-pointers last season with a 2.3 conversion rate. He averaged 5.8 3s with 2.3 points over the first five years of his career.
Mitchell attempted an average of 9.0 3s last season and made 3.3 of them.
Taking more 3-point shots is a big part of head coach Kenny Atkinson’s philosophy. He wants Garland and Evan Mobley to make more shots from beyond the arc.
“I sent that to Darius (in a text message) and he sent it back to me. “Oh, I’ve got to get on with my game,” Atkinson said. “Yes, he needs to shoot more. But it’s not that simple, is it? This is where coaching and strategy come into play.
“Can we add variety to this offense where he’s not just whatever, 90 percent pick and roll and has to create a lot on his own? Can we create. like Donovan, create an easier catch and shoot? He is really good. When you look at the numbers, he’s really good coming off screens, and we have really good screeners.”
Center Jarrett Allen missed the last three games of the playoff series with the Orlando Magic with a rib fracture and all five games against the Celtics. Mitchell missed the last two games of Boston’s series with a calf injury.
Garland played all seven games against the Magic and all five against the Celtics, but scored more than 20 points just three times and topped 25 points just once. He was exhausted and still affected by the weight loss from his broken jaw.
“I’ve been playing catch up all season,” Garland said. I really wasn’t myself.”
Garland said he gained weight and added muscle in the offseason, though he did not reveal exactly how much weight he gained. Getting stronger is important not only because it will help Garland’s durability through an 82-game season, but also because Atkinson believes Darius can improve as a defender.
One of the drawbacks of Garland and Mitchell as a backcourt tandem is that Garland is 6-foot-1 and Mitchell is listed as 6-foot-3. Usually they have to protect taller guards.
“I’ve always rated Darius as a plus defender,” Atkinson told a reporter who questioned Garland’s defensive abilities. “You have an amateur opinion. I will give you my professional opinion. There’s power there, especially with the way the league is played, right? It’s a league to pass through the chest, and there’s power there.
“Darius, to his credit, has gotten stronger this summer. He will continue to work on it. I don’t even like to call them little guards. As a child? They’re both size-wise for me because of their skill level.”
Garland has a career plus-minus of plus-394, meaning the Cavaliers have scored 394 more points than they have allowed while Garland has been on the court for the 307 games he has played.