Cavs’ Darius Garland and Kevin Porter Jr. fit the #NBAHandlesWeek bill

Cleveland Cavaliers rookies Darius Garland and Kevin Porter Jr. are both players that fit the #NBAHandlesWeek bill, and that on-ball creation is likely the biggest reason why Cleveland drafted both.

The Cleveland Cavaliers should have more offensive options in the 2019-20 season than they had for the majority of the 2018-19 season, and though Kevin Love only being active in 22 games (per Basketball Reference) hampered them, Cleveland still was pretty limited when it came to players they could go to to create for themselves and occasionally others.

Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson both produced as scorers last year (16.7 points and 16.8 points per game, respectively, per NBA.com) and look to be players that will be key contributors at the outset of the 2019-20 season.

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I personally believe Clarkson will eventually be traded due to his expiring deal, though, but either way, the Cavaliers drafting of Darius Garland and (via reported trade) Kevin Porter Jr. should allow the team to have two more players outside of Love that should be able to consistently create their own offense, which should help them have more options.

That off-the-bounce skill set makes Garland and Porter fit right into #NBAHandlesWeek, and in the near future, the Cleveland Cavaliers will need both of those players to create their own offense effectively, and keep progressing as playmakers for others as well, as a counter for defenses.

As we’ve often emphasized here at KJG, Garland could be a potential All-Star because of his lethal shooting ability from the perimeter, and off-the-bounce, especially.

Despite the sample size being a small one for Garland at Vanderbilt (just five games) due to a reported meniscus tear, he flashed as a scorer with 16.2 points per game and with his three-point range, as he shot 47.8% in that time span (per Sports Reference) and as a pick-and-roll ball-handler, he could be extremely difficult to defend due to that range and his ability to get separation with his handle.

With his polish in changing speeds via hesitation and/or hang dribbles, to go with his use of side steps and pull-backs after beating initial defenders, he should be able to fill it up as a scorer in coming years (and is a good off-the-catch shooter, too, which will only help with his advanced handle).

Here’s some of that sort of thing from his brief time at Vandy, per Swish Cultures.

That overall skill set ensures Garland fits right into NBA Handles Week, which is this week on social media outlets, by the way, and again, Cleveland will need Garland to use that handle to open up good opportunities for himself, and also his teammates such as Porter, Dylan Windler, Love, Cedi Osman and also rollers such as Larry Nance Jr. and Ante Zizic.

Porter, as we’ve also mentioned, is well-versed with his handle, too, and as KJG’s own Robbie DiPaola highlighted, he could grow into a heck of a bench microwave scorer in coming years.

Though one would probably like to see Porter utilize his 6-foot-5.5, 213-pound frame (per Tankathon) and outstanding explosiveness more often to get to the rim, his shot is a nice thing to rely on initially, and from three-point range, in particular.

He did take his share of long two’s, I won’t downplay that, but he did shoot 41.2% from beyond the arc (per Sports Reference) at USC, too, and if he can be a solid three-point marksman at the next level with decent volume, other opportunities should open up in the lane for him.

Here’s Porter’s handle and overall skill set on display, per Frankie Vision.

Though Porter is prone to over-dribbling at times, I’d still rather the Cleveland Cavaliers have players that can create their own offense than not, and as 2019-20 progresses, Porter’s ability to beat his initial defender off-the-bounce should open up more catch-and-shoot opportunities for Windler and others.

Additionally, if Sexton and Osman can keep improving their handle in coming years after growing considerably as last season progressed, the Cavs’ likely better motion off-ball under new head coach John Beilein will have a more noticeable impact and more passing lanes will open up.

Along with that, since this is catered to fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers, it’s still fun to watch Kyrie Irving‘s ball-handling back when he was here time to time, anyhow.

Maybe Garland can eventually be Kyrie 2.0, but that’s a tough expectation to live up to, though, and James Harden for Porter is a lofty one as well. A dude can dream, though, right?