The Cleveland Cavaliers have been all over the place this season, and their mediocre 20-17 record reflects that. For every promising stretch from the Cavs (consecutive wins against the San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns, and Denver Nuggets), there’s a horrid stretch to point to, balancing the scales (a loss to the Charlotte Hornets followed by back-to-back losses to the Chicago Bulls).
Even as it’s felt like the Cavs are beginning to emerge, their record over the last 10 games (5-5) doesn’t reflect anything special. There are some silver linings to hold onto amid the blandness, however, and one of them is the recent play of Darius Garland.
Darius Garland’s last 10 games show Cavaliers he is rounding into form
Garland wasn’t able to hit the ground running in 2025-26. Left toe surgery in June kept him out of the Cavs’ first seven games, and he re-aggravated the toe upon his return, leading to further missed time. Garland appeared in just three of Cleveland’s first 16 games, never playing more than 29 minutes in any of those three games.
In actuality, Garland’s season really started on November 21, as he’s appeared in 18 of 21 games since then. Not surprisingly, DG took some time to regain rhythm and conditioning.
Over the last 10 games, Garland is looking like himself again. The Cavs guard is averaging 18.7 points and 7.7 assists per game with 48-42-96 shooting splits during that stretch.
A healthy and effective Garland changes everything for the Cavaliers, and it puts their fan base in an entirely new frame of mind. When Garland’s hurt or struggling, trade narratives emerge daily, and Cleveland’s uphill battle in the standings seems insurmountable.
When Garland’s balling, life without Donovan Mitchell suddenly seems survivable, and fans realize the Cavs are only four games back of the two-seed (entering Tuesday). It’s very much a Jekyll and Hyde dynamic.
In this sense, Cleveland’s success rises and falls with Garland. After all, the Cavs always know what they are going to get from Mitchell (superstar production). But one star does not make a contending team.
For Cleveland to challenge for the East crown and become a squad worthy of taking down the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Denver Nuggets in a seven-game series, Garland must be the best version of himself. He’s looking more like it these days, and it’s really all about health.
Given the supernatural talents of NBA players, we often forget that injuries can really take a toll and drive down the abilities of a guy who isn’t feeling right. Garland’s had some unlucky injury stuff happen to him in his career.
He’d probably have more than two All-Star selections in a different set of circumstances. Cleveland's praying that the injury bug stays far away from Garland for the rest of the campaign.