Cavs: 3 crucial keys to Darius Garland winning Most Improved in 2021-22

Cavs: 3 crucial keys to Darius Garland winning Most Improved – Have a big game on primetime television

In the end, basketball is about the games, and incredible performances on national television draw viewers, generate conversations among fans and media and lead to the kind of public “buzz” that buoys award candidates to become award recipients.

Darius Garland plays for a likely lottery team in a small market. To generate that buzz he is going to need to have a major performance on a national stage.

If Garland can pop out for 35 points, 10 assists and a handful of steals, duel an opposing star down the stretch and play a part in a marquee win, suddenly his campaign has juice.

This can work in the opposite direction as well. If he puts together an excellent season but goes 2-for-12 and 3-for-9 in his only national television games, it will cast a pallor over his candidacy, fair or not.

It’s absolutely possible that Garland can put together a season worthy of winning the award without such a spotlight game, but most likely some of his direct competitors will have more chances to put those together.

Darius Garland is an exciting young player whose arrow is pointed up, and many around the league are ready for a leap to occur. If it comes on schedule it will bring hope to the Cavs and potentially hardware to Garland’s trophy case.