Cavs Player Grades: Darius Garland earned top marks

Cavs Player Grades: Defense

Darius Garland is a sight guard, standing somewhere just under 6’1″ before you account for his hair. He’s not particularly strong, isn’t a true ballhawk and while he is athletic is not going to leap out of nowhere to block many shots. In short, he doesn’t possess the physical profile to be an elite defender.

The question for Garland is whether he can be good enough not to present the opposing team with a blaring target to go after. If Garland is a lineup’s best offensive player he can afford to be its worst defensively, especially with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley on the court.

The numbers suggest Garland is around average defensively, with EPM rating him just above league average and RAPTOR just below. He averaged 1.3 steals per game this season, and his steal percentage hovered around Top-20 in the league.

Using the eye test tells a slightly less optimistic story. Garland carried such a heavy offensive load that this wasn’t necessarily surprising, but he tended to wear down quickly on the defensive end, struggling to get over screens and drifting a bit off-ball watching the play develop. He has quick hands and was able to generate a number of steals, but he also gambled a lot and was caught chasing his man into the paint.

The reason Garland’s defensive numbers look solid is that he was almost always paired with Jarrett Allen during the meat of the season; the two were a deadly combination on offense, and Allen covered up for Garland anytime the point guard was beat.

Garland will continue to get stronger, and he should be better defensively down the line. For now it is clearly a weakness, although he competes and will up his game in the playoffs. It’s reasonable for Garland to be the level of defender he is, but it’s also not blowing anyone away.

Grade: B-