Halfway through the season, who’s the Cavs’ second-best player?

So who is the Cavs’ second-best?

In the most positive way, I hesitated when I first asked myself this question. Besides Donovan, who really holds this team together? The Cleveland roster is filled with young guys who are producing yet still finding their way, along with vets who bring experience. I mean, the Cavaliers don’t have the seventh-best record in the NBA because of Mitchell alone. He’s the focal point, yes, but this team has its key components that contribute on a nightly basis. So who exactly is the Cavaliers’ 2nd-best player?

Evan Mobley? Not quite yet. The 21-year-old hasn’t had a terrible first half of the year by any means, but the team will need more from him down the stretch if they want to even think about contending for an NBA title. He does average 14.2 points per game on 55.1% shooting from the field this year. Mobley also averages the second-most (8.8) rebounds per game on the team.

Darius Garland? One could make a case for Garland, most definitely. He averages 21.4 points per game, ranking second-most on the team, while also leading the Cavs in assists, averaging 7.8 per game. While the once-Vanderbilt point guard will be one of the centerpieces for this franchise for years to come, he’s missed nine games this season.

He can’t help how shifty he is, slicing through the hardwood getting absolutely mauled in what is almost becoming a scheduled event every game. When Darius Garland has watched from the side, though, this Cavs’ team has a perfect record of 9-0 and it’s ultimately the reason I went with the former 22nd overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, then by the Brooklyn Nets.