3 positive takeaways from Cavaliers media day that give hope for the season

3. Darius Garland is ready to put last season behind him

Darius Garland had his worst season since he was a rookie last year. He looked erratic, not confident, and lost on the court most of the year. He admitted as much on media day, saying last year was rough for him.

Garland missed almost two months due to a broken jaw that caused him to lose over 15 pounds. He struggled with the loss of his grandmother as well, leaving the team on off days to go tend to his family. Garland acknowledged that he had to play catch up the whole season and he was playing underweight in the playoffs.

Now, Garland had a full offseason to get back to where he was before. He got stronger and gained his weight back, while also getting ready to be used more as a movement shooter in Kenny Atkinson’s new system. Oftentimes last season, it felt that the Cavs were over-reliant on Mitchell and did not use Garland’s ability to shoot and playmake enough. It looks like that will change this coming season.

Garland at his best is an All-Star level player in this league. He showed it in the two seasons prior to last year. Hopefully with better injury luck and improved strength, he can bounce back and get back to the point guard he was before.

Despite a quiet offseason, media day has reignited an exciting atmosphere around the Cleveland Cavaliers. The East contender has a mix of young and proven stars with coaching leadership proven to know how to develop and foster greatness.