Cavaliers receive exciting Darius Garland injury update after heartbreaking loss

In the early weeks of the 2025 offseason, news broke that Darius Garland's toe injury sustained during the playoffs would require surgery and months of recovery.

Garland's injury marked the third major setback in just as many years. Losing Garland in the playoffs showed drastic flaws in the Cavs' offense as ball movement stagnated. Without Garland in the lineup to start the year, Cleveland faced the same offensive challenges.

Against the New York Knicks on opening night, those flaws came to light again. While Lonzo Ball's introductory Cavs match gave life to the offense during his time on the floor, it did not replace Garland's fluidity and dynamic punch. While his absence was far from the only reason the Cavaliers fell short in Madison Square Garden, his return will certainly bolster the team's chances for the rest of the season.

Garland is recovering ahead of schedule

Initially, reports suggested Garland would miss a significant chunk of the year. When the news first broke in June, the article listed four-to-five months as the likely timeline before he could start any basketball activities again, meaning he would still miss more time before being game-ready.

Despite the painful 119-111 loss to open the season, Garland gifted Cavs fans a major update on ESPN.

Garland clarified that he does not have a clear date for return, but he is already resuming five-on-five practice with his teammates. By this point, he was only expected to be gradually returning to light practices. His progress is promising, especially for a team that is also without Max Strus for months and De'Andre Hunter for a short time.

The Cavaliers All-Star point guard also gave more insight on the impact of his turf toe, stating he couldn't really walk during the playoffs. Garland gave another bold proclamation, arguing that if he had been healthy, the team would have not only overcome the Pacers but won the Finals. His confidence will hopefully ring true when he comes back.

Cleveland's offense is dependent on a great point guard

Against the Knicks, Mitchell fell back into old bad habits down the stretch. Despite 21 points in the second half, his heliocentric playstyle left his teammates ignored. Careless turnovers were caused by forced drives to the paint when running a team-oriented play might have found an open shooter.

Garland brings balance to the Cavaliers offense. This season, Cleveland is betting on another leap from Evan Mobley, especially with his scoring aggression. If the Cavs really hope to actualize that belief in Mobley, getting Garland back to running the offense will get the ball in his hands more often.

According to NBA.com, Garland assisted Mobley 76 times last regular season in 66 games. The only player Garland assisted more was Jarrett Allen, who he assisted 138 times and averaged 26.6 minutes together per game.

Back in the 2021-22 season, Garland's first All-Star nomination was the catalyst to create the current contending Cavs squad. From the start, the offense has depended on his ability to generate looks for his teammates. If the Cleveland Cavaliers can get their star PG back in action early, their season outlook suddenly looks much brighter.