The Cleveland Cavaliers had a historic offense in their 64-win season last year. They had the best offensive rating in the NBA at 121.0, and a big reason for that was the bounce back season that Darius Garland had.
Garland had an injury-riddled 2024, but he was able to turn the page last year. The Cavaliers guard became an All-Star for the second time in his career, averaging nearly 21 points per game, and seven assists.
Garland didn’t have the postseason showing he wanted to. He injured his toe against the Miami Heat in the first round, and hobbled his way through the second around against the Indiana Pacers.
Garland ended up getting offseason surgery that cost him the first seven games of this season, and prior to his return, Cleveland’s offense was sputtering. The Cavs were 26th in offensive rating, 19th in true-shooting percentage, 23rd in points per game, and 18th in assists. Garland’s presence has been the rejuvenation Cleveland’s offense needed.
Darius Garland is the engine that makes the Cavaliers offense go
Yes, Donovan Mitchell is Cleveland’s best offensive player, but Garland is the floor general that orchestrates the flow of the offense. With him on the court this season, the Cavs have a 128.3 offensive rating. They have a +14.4 net rating, average a scorching 140 points per game, make 42 percent of their threes, and average 33.5 assists.
This is only from the two full games Garland started, and finished, but Cleveland’s offense was operating this way all of last year with him at the helm. Garland’s pass-first tendency gets the ball rolling for the Cavs.
He has the ability to create out of pick-and-roll, getting Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen easy looks a few times a game. He can knife his way into the paint thanks to his tight handle, and get the defense in rotation, which is where Cleveland shines.
He also makes life way easier for Mitchell. The Cavs star gets to spend his time attacking closeouts off of rotations, and has more space to operate on the perimeter.
Garland has found himself in trade rumors for the last two years, with many suggesting that in order for Cleveland to take the next step, they need to trade him away for better pieces. Unless they get an All-Star back, it doesn’t make sense for the Cavs to trade Garland away. There is a reason President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman has never entertained the thought.
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) November 12, 2025
Without him, Cleveland’s offensive identity isn’t the same. Now that he is out with a left toe contusion, which is the same toe he had surgery on, the Cavs could fall back into their old early-season habits when Garland was sidelined.
Thankfully for Cleveland, Garland’s injury doesn’t appear to be serious. He didn’t re-injure the toe, and while they will likely be extremely cautious with his injury, the point guard likely won’t miss an extended period of time.
That’s good news for the Cavs. They need Garland to maintain an elite offense, which is what makes them one of the more dangerous teams in the NBA.