Cavs’ drafting of Darius Garland at 5 was best player available move

With the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Vanderbilt point guard Darius Garland, and that was a best player available mindset all the way.

The Cleveland Cavaliers ended up drafting Vanderbilt point guard Darius Garland with the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft (as shown by the Cavs’ Official Twitter), which was a best player available move by general manager Koby Altman and the organization.

I can understand why Cleveland went in that direction, as Garland is one of the best shooters in the draft, and perhaps the best shooter off-the-dribble in the class.

More from King James Gospel

• 3 possible starting lineups for Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023-24
• The Cavaliers may have snagged a hidden gem in Craig Porter Jr.
• 4 players the Cavaliers should pursue in 2024 free agency
• 6 players Cavaliers might replace Jarrett Allen with by the trade deadline
• This stat is one to keep an eye on for Cavaliers’ Max Strus in years ahead

Despite it being only a five-game sample size in his college (due to a reported meniscus tear), Garland showcased his shooting prowess, as he averaged 16.2 points per game on 63.9% effective field goal shooting, including a three-point hit rate of 47.8%, and also had 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game (per Sports Reference).

Scouts, and ESPN’s Mike Schmitz in particular, believe Garland has All-Star potential considering his ability as a shooter off-the-bounce, and as a lead guard, in general, with Garland’s ability to create space and finish at all three levels.

He’s also said to project as a better facilitator/playmaker than young guard Collin Sexton, the player Cleveland selected in the 2018 NBA Draft, and has shown he has better passing vision, particularly in the pick-and-roll, than Sexton.

Clearly, though, Cleveland in my opinion had a bigger need in terms of adding a two-way wing early in the 2019 NBA Draft, such as Duke’s Cam Reddish and Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver (whom were both available), but the Cavaliers bet on drafting their primary playmaker of the future in Garland, even with Sexton on the roster and likely being a key piece in the coming years.

Garland is a very talented ball-handler, and in today’s perimeter-driven NBA, his shooting, particularly off-the-bounce, should be a huge boost to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ offense for the foreseeable future.

That being said, Sexton’s role seems as if it could be considerably marginalized, and that concerns me.

Sexton’s passing right now is not a strong suit (though his vision and decision-making improved over the season), but can it improve under head coach John Beilein?

I would imagine so, and either way, it’s been reported by Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor that Beilein likes the idea of a two-PG system,” so hopefully the ball movement comes anyhow, and Garland, Cedi Osman, and Garland could provide solid playmaking as a group, potentially.

The defense of the Cavaliers will almost certainly be in even worse shape in the next few years with a Garland-Sexton starting backcourt, if they both start, that is.

Both players need to get stronger, are both 6-foot-2, and it’s unclear if they eventually will be competent defenders eventually.

Nonetheless, Cleveland will address that in the near future, and hopefully develop the defensive ability of Osman, big Ante Zizic and others.

I would think at their next pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, which is currently 26th overall (and via the Houston Rockets), and perhaps could be another one, based on the potential return of a trade involving J.R. Smith (due to his contract), that the Cleveland Cavaliers and Altman will address the defense, which was historically awful in 2018-19, as we’ve often referenced.