Why Garland will end up as the best Cavs guard of all time

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Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers. Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images /

The Cleveland Cavaliers are off to a strong start this year, compiling a 15-9 record that is good enough for third in the East. After a year in which they went 44-38 and lost in the Play-In Tournament, the trade of Donovan Mitchell has made the Cavs more dangerous and more dynamic. The Cavs pass the eye test, but many of the stats back it up as well.

The Cavs for most of last year were one of the league’s best defensive teams, but according to nba.com’s advanced stats, the Cavs are second in defensive rating, seventh in offense and have the third-highest net rating.

As we sit here today, the trade looks like more of a homerun than it does when the Cavs made it. Markkanen is having a really strong season in Utah, while Sexton is a rotation piece type player and the hope is Ochai Agbaji becomes a reliable rotation player. Even so, you give that up every day for a player of Mitchell’s caliber. Those guys just don’t equal the player Mitchell is.

Even since the trade Mitchell is better than expected and has been an MVP candidate early on in the season. The Cavs did give up five picks, but two of those picks are just swaps and the Cavs will likely keep those picks, and there is a strong likelihood the rest are in the 25-30 range. Picks at that range are less than a 50/50 chance to make an impact on the team. The trade at this point is an A+ homerun trade.

The Cavs have had some good All-star guards and some great ones really stick out, but when all is said and done could Darius Garland be the best ever?

Yes, Mitchell has become an early MVP candidate, and Mobley has continued to show why he likely has the most potential of anyone on the team long-term, but it can’t go without saying another big reason for the Cavs’ success and why they’re so dynamic is that point guard Darius Garland has taken his game to another level.

In fact, the way Garland has played this season shows that he has an excellent chance to go down as the best guard in Cavaliers’ franchise history.