Darius Garland has already made an impact on the Cavs offense
« The first (3-point shot) what i missed was already loud when i missed », laughing Darius Garland to testify to the wait, at Rocket Arena, caused by his return to competition last night on the occasion of the arrival of the Sixers.
Seconds after his initial miss, the leader would convert on a three-pointer from the corner, which would be one of his few shots of the night. In 26 minutes, he scored only 8 points (3/11 on shots including 2/7 from distance), 4 assists (3 turnovers) and 2 rebounds.
But after spending weeks in the infirmary for toe surgery, he’s enjoying it. ” Look at how the ball goes through the circle, passes on 45 (Donovan Mitchell), Ev (Evan Mobley) not I (Jarrett Allen), it sure is “, says Darius Garland about what he missed during his recovery. It was great to see my teammates again. Being with them makes me happy. »
And the reverse is true. The best regular-season team in the East last year, Cleveland, is off to a shaky start, especially with an offense that isn’t hitting full speed like it used to be. They entered this matchup against the Sixers with an offensive rating of 111.3 points per 100 possessions, which is the fifth lowest in the league, while last season they led the NBA with 121 points per 100 possessions.
The best offensive result at the beginning of the season
Coach Kenny Atkinson called his team’s offense ” tiring » in the absence of Darius Garland, as players had to take on roles they were not used to. Donovan Mitchell played up front, while Evan Mobley was forced to create more of the game himself. The coach prefers not to start Lonzo Ball, despite being the team’s leading creator (5 assists per game).
The return of Darius Garland changes everything. As his first converted recording, after a magnificent circulation of the ballthe Cavs’ offense regained its fluidity in this matchup. Clearly buoyed by Donovan Mitchell’s 46 points, Cleveland’s offense set records for points (132) and assists (33) this season.
« You have a guy who can run the play, get easy shots and make everyone’s job easier. When you have an All-Star, you have to pay attention to where he is. Knowing that a player like him is on the pitch, capable of creating, gives everyone confidence. », describes Donovan Mitchell whose team scored 41 points in the first quarter of the match.
« Those first seven minutes were real Cavs basketball. He knows what systems he wants to run. It wasn’t perfect, but a big part of the reason our offense regained momentum was because Darius got us back into our comfort zone. Everyone could return more to their natural role », underlines the enthusiastic Kenny Atkinson.
| Darius Garland | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | The team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | That | Pd | Ft | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2019-20 | CLE | 59 | 31 | 40.1 | 35.5 | 87.5 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 2.6 | 0.1 | 12.3 |
| 2020-21 | CLE | 54 | 33 | 45.1 | 39.5 | 84.8 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 6.1 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 0.1 | 17.4 |
| 2021-22 ☆ | CLE | 68 | 36 | 46.2 | 38.3 | 89.2 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 8.6 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 3.6 | 0.1 | 21.7 |
| 2022-23 | CLE | 69 | 36 | 46.2 | 41.0 | 86.3 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 7.8 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 0.1 | 21.6 |
| 2023-24 | CLE | 57 | 33 | 44.6 | 37.1 | 83.4 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 2.7 | 6.5 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 0.1 | 18.0 |
| 2024-25 ☆ | CLE | 75 | 31 | 47.2 | 40.1 | 87.8 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 6.7 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 0.1 | 20.6 |
How to read statistics? MJ = matches played; Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / 3 points in an attempt; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive jump; Tot = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; Points = Points.
2025-11-06 08:20:00
