Cavs: 5 burning questions for 2021-22 NBA season

The Cleveland Cavaliers have an important season ahead of them. They don’t have championship pressure like the Brooklyn Nets or Utah Jazz, nor do they have a looming player decision like the Washington Wizards or Chicago Bulls. Even so, after three years of losing, the time is now to find beacons of hope to lead this team back to the playoffs.

Do the Cavs already have the core in place to one day contend again in the Eastern Conference? Do they need to move on from the players they do have? These are overall questions for the team that will be slow in answering. To find those answers, there are a number of smaller questions, resting on specific players and positions, that must be answered first. What are the top five burning questions for the Cavs this year?

Cavs: 5 burning questions – Will Darius Garland make the leap?

Darius Garland is a very talented young player, and after a slow start as a rookie, he showed last year that he could be on the cusp of stardom. If he can take a step forward as a scorer this year similar to what Collin Sexton did last year, with everything else he brings to the table that could solidify him as a foundation of the future for Cleveland.

Garland is a popular breakout pick around the league, as his combination of talent, skillset and opportunity look primed to propel him forward. A breakout season could put him in the running for awards, clarify the team’s negotiations with Sexton and even accelerate this team’s timeline. He has that much potential; the question is whether it hits this year? Growth is not always linear, but if it does come it will be exciting to watch.