During the 2022 offseason, the Cleveland Cavaliers landed themselves the man who has become arguably the second-best player in franchise history — Donovan Mitchell. Since 2022-23, Darius Garland was asked to share the backcourt load with him. It worked fine, but it was not perfect.
Garland and Mitchell were often criticized for their defensive fit more than anything else. The pair of small guards were believed to be too much of a liability for the Cavaliers to overcome in the long run. The Cavs gave up their on any intent of proving the doubters wrong, shipping him away to the Los Angeles Clippers for James Harden.
As much as the defense was the overly publicized factor for the Cavaliers' awkward fit between Garland and Mitchell, the offensive end was not ideal either. They made it work in recent seasons, but the two were never quite complimentary in the fullest definition of what that means.
Mitchell cut into Garland's backcourt usage a good deal, and rightfully so. The former was and is the superior player. By contrast, the Clippers have happily given their new point guard the keys to the offense in Los Angeles. Garland is enjoying life as the clear-cut lead offensive engine in the backcourt.
Darius Garland's usage percentage is through the roof in Los Angeles
Garland's highest usage percentage with the Cavaliers came during the 2021-22 season. That was the year right before Mitchell's arrival. His 2024-25 mark of 27.2 came close to rivaling that, once Kenny Atkinson took over and shifted the roles around, but Garland was never truly given freedom as the main guy in the backcourt.
The Clippers do not have a backcourt player that rivals the caliber of Mitchell. As a result, Garland's usage has gone up to a career-high rate.
The Clippers point guard is 30-plus in the category for the first time during this initial sample in Los Angeles. Naturally, if that spanned over the full duration of an 82-game season, it would easily be the top mark of his time in the NBA.
That has allowed Garland to thrive on the offensive end with the Clippers. One would imagine his scoring efficiency eventually cools off, but right now, his shooting splits are a touch absurd.
In almost every Clippers game, there is at least one moment that Garland makes you think, "Wow." That is in large part due to the confidence and green light given to him by that organization. With their current set-up, the Cavaliers would have never really been able to match that.