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Examining where Cavs’ Garland, Mitchell were slotted in B/R’s guard rank

By Quinn Minnich

Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers. (Photo by Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports)
Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers. (Photo by Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports) /
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Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers. (Photo by Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports) /

Earlier this week, Bleacher Report put together an article predicting the top 25 guards for the 2022-23 season. There were no surprises that the Cleveland Cavaliers held two players on this list, as both Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell were All-Stars last season, and for good reason.

Garland was the clear-cut best player on the Cavs roster last season, while Mitchell was clearly the best offensive player the Utah Jazz have had in years. His three-level scoring, shooting impact and pick-and-roll play all should be huge for the Cavaliers.

It is very difficult to rank any sports players without having any criticism from anyone, so I don’t blame or judge Bleacher Report for ranking players differently than I would. Personally, I believe some players are too high, or too low. However, I will not hold that against B/R’s NBA Staff, as they have different opinions than me, and everyone else for that matter.

Let’s look at some players who were left off this list. Players like Tyrese Haliburton, Desmond Bane, and Jalen Brunson, were all left off of this list. Would I put them on this list? Maybe, but like I said, it’s really hard to rank players, even in a vacuum. There are many factors when it comes to ranking players, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion (unless you’re Dan Gilinsky, as his opinions aren’t good, so). With all of that aside, let’s react to these rankings.

#24-18

Tied at 24, we have Cade Cunningham and Ben Simmons. At this point in Simmons’ career, I think he’s heavily underrated. Sure, he’s not much of a scorer, and can’t shoot really well, either. But, everything else in his game is top-tier. His defense is one of the league’s best. Playmaking has always been his strong suit, and so has finishing. Now let’s talk about Cade.

I’m not as high on him as many people are, but I might be wrong. His stats last season weren’t the best, but hey, being a point guard in the NBA as a rookie is one of the hardest things ever.

23rd, 22nd, and 21st rankings have De’Aaron Fox, CJ McCollum, and Klay Thompson, respectively, which I agree with. 20th and 19th have Fred VanVleet and Darius Garland, which I find both players way too low. Both were first time All-Stars last season, and they deserve a bit more respect on their names.

They’re both behind Jamal Murray, who is at 18th, which I’m not a fan of. VanVleet is one of the league’s most underrated players and perimeter defenders, in my opinion. And as for Garland, his offensive game is so silky-smooth, and his playmaking continues to get better and better. He deserves to be higher.

Examining #17 and #16, as it pertains to Garland

From there, Dejounte Murray and Jrue Holiday are next after Garland, of which I think both could be below Garland, but that’s just my opinion, and it could be biased.

Jrue Holiday is still one of the NBA’s most underrated players (as my brother keeps telling me), and I will agree with that. He’s one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, and his offensive game is not bad, either. I think Murray is solidly ranked where he is, and I wouldn’t change that.