1 stud and 1 dud for Cavs in their win over the Bucks
By Amadou Sow
Cavs Stud: Darius Garland
Darius Garland’s rise to stardom accelerated the Cavs’ rebuild and his All-Star level play this season is one of, if not the biggest reason for the team’s success.
On the season, Garland is now up to 19.1 points and 7.3 assists per game, and has hit 39.2 percent from three on 6.7 attempts per outing. And in this last one against the Bucks, Garland ended with 22 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds, shooting 10-of-13 from the field and 2-of-4 from three.
12 of his 22 points came in the first quarter when the Cavs’ offense as a whole seemed to start off slow. In fact, Garland scored 8 of the team’s first 11 points before Bickerstaff decided to go to his bench early. We’ve seen how Garland has continued to shine as a playmaker too, and he’s one of the NBA’s leading assist leaders in December and should represent Cleveland in the All-Star game.
Continuing to show offensive aggression and steady offensive output, this leap that Garland has had with Sexton out has gotten him deserved media praise. Combine that with his leadership both on and off the court, it gives the Cavaliers a franchise point guard once again.