The Cleveland Cavaliers are just about ready to begin one of the most important seasons in franchise history, and they may not need to wait that much longer for Darius Garland to help guide them through it. Kenny Atkinson offered a promising update on his star point guard's recovery process.
Atkinson said, "He did most of practice today, and we were live. So, we'll see how he responds tomorrow. ... It's a good sign for us."
Some #Cavs injury updates from Kenny Atkinson:
— Gabriella Kreuz (@thesportsGab) October 20, 2025
Hunter: only did individual work today at practice, too early to tell if he’ll be ready for Wednesday’s opener
DG: did most of practice today “and we were live, so we’ll see how he responds tomorrow”
Is DG ahead of schedule in… pic.twitter.com/uddICdiUIN
The Cavaliers coach was asked a follow-up question about whether he would consider Garland ahead of schedule. Atkinson ensured to clarify the statement he was making was just his opinion, but he did say yes. However, last year's Coach of the Year joked that it would be best to check with the medical team.
Atkinson made it clear the priority with Garland was to have him healthy for the long-term. The bigger picture of the season as a whole, and the NBA Playoffs, came under focus as what matters most. Continuing to have conversations with the Cavaliers guard about his comfort was deemed necessary.
Cleveland gets perfect news with Darius Garland's injury progress
Garland did not provide reporters and media with a definitive answer on his injury timeline at media day last month. Despite that, there was some optimism to be caught from the way the All-Star point guard was answering the questions, envisioning a potential date for himself in his head.
That may have been a tactful play by Garland to keep expectations around when his return would come at a modest level. Now, instead of the Cavaliers point guard being rushed to a specified date, there is an excitement around him being available sooner than some may have thought.
Garland is a crucial component to the success of this Cavaliers season. Cleveland will need the ball in his hands, dictating the flow of the offense at full capacity as soon as possible to really nail down their championship formula.
Really, though, as long as the Cavaliers have that in the postseason, then they get pretty much all they can ask for here. Atkinson said it himself, it's about the bigger picture in Cleveland.
Even with that being true, it is still hard to deny the kind of excitement that this latest update brings to those rooting for the Cavaliers' success in 2025-26. A healthy Garland allows Cleveland to maximize how the pieces fit from the get-go.
Whether the star point guard will be available in the season opener against the New York Knicks on Oct. 22 is unclear. However, it does not sound as though Garland is not too far away from returning to the court.