Cavs: One stud and one dud from their W over the Raptors on Friday

Cavs stud: Darius Garland

One could’ve campaigned for rookie sensation Evan Mobley, but I had to go with Garland here for a number of reasons.

Yes, Garland got off to a slow start with only four points in the first half, but when it counted, Garland was able to deliver. He had 21 points, eight assists and a steal, while shooting 8-of-12 from the field and 2-of-3 from three-point range. Garland got off to a slow start, but he got it going in the second half, scoring 17 points, as we noted, and 12 of his points came in the fourth quarter, and he sank two clutch free throws to win the game.

This is coming off a game where Garland  was very impressive, having a 19-point, 10-assist double-double in a matchup against superstar Damian Lillard. Now, Garland has star potential, but I’m not ready to anoint him quite yet.

Many, including reportedly 15 NBA executives, believed this would be a breakout year for Garland and when you watch a game like this, you can see why. It was nice to see Garland take control and be ultra-aggressive in the second half, but especially in the fourth quarter.

I’m again not ready to anoint Garland yet, however, Garland has star potential and if he can consistently have this type of aggressiveness, the sky is the limit for him.