It was a long season and summer for Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Darius Garland.
Rumors circled that he wanted out of the organization, but after denying the rumors personally at media day, Garland has been nothing short of the best professional point guard the Cavs could ask to see. Averaging 20.5 points, 6.6 assists and 3.5 three-pointers made per game, Garland is at the top of his game with just 29.5 minutes per night.
Garland is making a compelling early case for his second All-Star appearance alongside perennial All-Star Donovan Mitchell. The Vanderbilt product looks happy, healthy and ready to win. Garland is scoring in bunches and is becoming the Cavs' go-to guy in the clutch. His two-man duo with Mitchell is something special to behold, proving wrong all criticisms levied against them over the past two seasons.
Darius is not only committed on offense and taking the most three-pointers of his career (7.3), he is a tough defender with 1.2 steals per game and the best lateral quickness and toughness he has ever displayed. While Garland might not be the same level of defensive pest as Jrue Holiday, Garland is jumping into passing lanes, closing out on shooters, playing with strength and making an impact every play.
Despite his injuries and personal issues, Garland made history with the Cavaliers last season as the third player to reach 5,000 or more points and 2,000 or more assists within five seasons. This year, Garland is wasting no time continuing to add to himself to Cavs history books.
One day, two milestones
Ahead of the Cavs' road game against the Chicago Bulls, Garland was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, becoming the seventh Cavalier to win the award multiple times while with the organization. Garland averaged a scorching 25 points and 7.3 assists over the week while shooting 53 percent (!!!) from deep.
Garland also gave the Cavs their second consecutive Player of the Week award, following Donovan Mitchell's lead from one week earlier. Garland's hot start to the season has carried the Cavaliers to tough wins, and his volume shooting adds another layer of history to his Cavaliers career.
A few hours after earning the award, Garland took the court in the Windy City. Against the Bulls, Garland launched from deep, eclipsing the fourth-most three-pointers made in Cavaliers history during the contest.
Rising up in the record books. #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/Tf17XuGZOS
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) November 12, 2024
It was Garland's lone triple on the evening, but he finished with 17 points, five assists and four clutch steals. As the Cavaliers continue to dominate the NBA, Garland's accolades will only continually pile up. Garland is not only making history for himself, he is joining the ranks of elite Hall of Fame talents such as LeBron James and Kyrie Irving who set many of the all-time records Garland is now chasing.
Currently, Garland is tied with Irving at fourth overall. He is 79 three-pointers away from Mark Price's 802 threes. From there, he will have to battle Kevin Love and LeBron who both have four figures of triples drained in the wine and gold. While a lofty goal, Garland's dedication to the organization and development this season could threaten these Cleveland Cavaliers records sooner rather than later.