Cavs: Pull-up 3s need to be point of emphasis for Darius Garland

It’s no secret that the Cleveland Cavaliers need to be finding ways to generate more three-point attempts. The Wine and Gold currently rank last in the league in three-point attempts per game, and are last in three-point makes per outing.

It’s been a positive, though, that the Cavs recognize that, and while Darius Garland and Collin Sexton have often gotten to their spots, leading to floaters, which are go-tos for them, Cleveland does need their volume from deep to increase, ideally.

Granted, with how Sexton has continued to get stronger and stronger over the past seasons, he’s been able to make a living as a driver, and that’s led to a high free throw rate. Albeit Sexton, who has hit 42.3 percent from there, is more than capable of knocking down three-point looks, but again, if I can’t necessarily grill him for not taking more triples, as he’s been so efficient overall.

Those can eventually come in coming games, though, if the Cavs can find skip feeds/ball-swings to Collin.

When it comes to Garland, though his change of pace and shiftiness has clearly been there this season, when he’s been in there (he missed eight games due to a right shoulder sprain), we do objectively need the Cavs to stress him getting up more triples.

Garland, while it wasn’t a terrific clip from deep for a guard, hit 35.5 percent from downtown last season, but I thought 5.0 triple attempts per contest was a decent amount, and that was with Kevin Love mostly in the fold, whereas this season, that’s barely been the case. Love, on the plus side, will seemingly be back, per reports, pretty soon for Cleveland regarding a high-grade right calf strain of which he previously reaggravated, though.

Garland has hit 40.3 percent from deep, which has been encouraging on 4.0 attempts per game, but in Garland’s last eight games active, he’s had a bit less at 3.4 attempts per contest. Of those, he’s hit 44.4 percent from downtown, however.

Although from my perspective, and assuredly other Cavs fans’, while we’ve probably been pleased overall with DG this season for the most part, and 5.5 assists per outing has been a plus, it’s hard to not want him to shoot more deep balls.

But the opportunities have seemingly been there is the thing that picks at me when watching that from Garland lately, even while he’s done well in a general sense I think.

And in that realm for the Cavs, it’s apparent that shooting more pull-up 3s needs to be a point of emphasis for DG.

Garland again has shown he has a money floater that’s very difficult to really contest effectively for opposing bigs in the pick-and-roll game, and he’s recently shown some ability to hit mid-range, Dirk Nowitzki-esque one-legged shots in the near the elbows. That added wrinkle is something that can help him here and there in settled offense I would think, too.

Albeit Garland needs to again, be increasing his volume of pull-up 3s taken, frankly, with the handle he has. On the season, Garland’s averaged 1.8 pull-up triple attempts per contest, per NBA.com’s shot tracking data, of which has been a 13.2 percent frequency.

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

It’s not the simplest thing to just pinpoint an exact number of pull-up 3s I’d like to see DG attempt looking onward, but perhaps a ball park of 1.5 more or so per game could be a goal, which was obviously increase that frequency.

The point is, with Garland seemingly all the way back from that prior right shoulder sprain, and with his ability to change speeds off the bounce, I firmly believe he can and will be able to have pull-up triples be more of a focal point on-ball for him.

Last season, he had almost two less shots attempted per outing overall, and had 2.4 pull-up 3s per outing, which was clearly a higher frequency, by comparison.

When Love is back, perhaps Garland’s shots will come down a bit, although I wouldn’t expect much, but in his attempts, we need to see Garland hunt pull-up triples a bit more. And for a quick side note, even while there will be trade rumors, I wouldn’t think Love will be moved during this season, given his injury history/contract.

Anyhow, though ideally, I’d like to see Garland get more looks on the interior/more free throw attempts, as an alternative for getting more efficient looks for him, we need to see Garland look to get up more threes off the bounce. And there will be some step backs, one would think, albeit pull-up triples in settled situations could really open things up for Garland.

If he prioritizes those in games more as opposed to trimming down floater/mid-range attempts, to a degree, it will only make him more dangerous as a driver, to go with as a lob thrower, to Jarrett Allen, in particular.

Nonetheless, Andre Drummond as a screener, who has often slipped too soon, hasn’t helped in clearing space. But Drummond could seemingly be very well moved by the March 25 trade deadline, anyhow, and the Toronto Raptors are reportedly among those interested in him, per Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.

And Garland still could be able to release looks at times with him anyway with his ability as a lob thrower, which could aid him via hesitations.

Moreover, I just highlight pull-up 3s needing to be a point of emphasis for DG, because if that plays out, it will make him more unpredictable throughout games, and he could be able to generate more drive-and-kick chances leading to looks for others on the outside.

That’s where Isaac Okoro, in the corner, Cedi Osman, I’d think Sexton/Love, Taurean Prince and/or Dylan Windler could have more clean looks, or cutting feeds from Garland if he gets by defenders anticipating that pull-up triple game more.

I’m not discounting that I want Garland to perhaps get looks via relocation from deep here, but it seems more realistic to see him generate more pull-up three-point looks for himself, which could open Cleveland’s offense more so looking onward.