Darius Garland quarterbacks Cavs in season debut after ‘boring’ 6 months

When Darius Garland stepped foot on the floor Wednesday night, Cleveland Cavaliers they finally had their KB1. The boys are back in familiar roles, the team has brought back more of its key players, and the Cavs’ so-called clunky offense it looked like he was the best in the NBA again.

“I would say it gives us more confidence,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said after a 132-121 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. “He’s so confident in his abilities, and even in timeouts, he’s got a great demeanor about him. He always has the right message for the guys. That’s important. Your quarterback, it’s like your quarterback in football. Those guys, they call the play after free throws, and I think we all felt more comfortable when he was there in the lineup.”

“He’s our quarterback with a little wrist band to call the play, and it just works for us,” added Jarrett Allen, who also returned for a double-double.

The Cavs began their blowout against the Sixers with a 17-4 run in less than four minutes as an adrenaline-pumping Garland orchestrated an offense in which every starter scored immediately.

“He just set us up nicely. That first seven minutes, that was Cavs basketball,” Atkinson said. “He started a lot of it, with his speed, his ability to get the edge, and he knows what sets we want. And I know it wasn’t perfect, but I think he’s a big reason why our offense stepped up tonight. He just got us in our comfort zone a little bit.”

Garland was happy to be back with his teammates as well, feeling the energy of Rocket Arena from the starting lineups on. He missed “seeing the ball go through the hoop,” and finding Mitchell and Mobley on his signature nice passes: “I didn’t get a lob today, but I will soon.”

Doc The result of Garland’s box hasn’t been the sexiest — eight points, three assists and two rebounds in 26 minutes — his skill set is essential for the Cavs.

“I was definitely dog-tired,” Garland admitted. “It’s been about six, seven months. So yeah, I’m trying to get it back, trying to get the wind back. Then, after that, I just let the chips fall where they may.”

Right off the bat, Wine and Gold felt like last season’s top seeds.

“Honestly, it was great to have a guy like DG back,” Evan Mobley told The Association on NBA TV after the game. “It makes our job a lot easier. It was his first game, a little slow for him, but it will get better as we go.”

“When he’s out there, your eyes are on him, and he’s making the plays that we’re making on the back end,” Cavs All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell said. “It just makes things a lot easier. There’s a lot more space when he’s out, and it’s natural. We know what he brings, and it’s great to see him back. The shots didn’t really fall tonight, but just having him around just changes us as a group.”

Mitchell dropped 46 points, but pointed in Garland’s direction for helping him on the ball. His partner in the backfield lightens the load and diverts attention, which opens up the field for opportunities all around.

Alone Merrill, who is also back in the fray with 14 points on the night on four 3-pointers, he saw a spike in energy from the team’s “jitters.” The same sentiment goes for Allen, who said there’s less guesswork than the Cavs’ offense.

“We just make sure we’re in the right place at the right time,” Allen said. “He knows when to slow down the offense. He knows when to speed up the offense.”

“He’s got gravitas around him. Defensive players want to go to him. He’s got an amazing float game. And he’s taken (advantages of) the way he’s been able to get past me. We’ve been doing the pick-and-roll for about five years now, and together we’ve been able to master it.”

Darius Garland helps the Cavs find their balance

Garland’s bread and butter comes from hitting shots that put opposing defenses into rotation. He forces opponents to make decisions, and as Allen said, it leads to almost read-option outcomes. Driving to the lane creates a balance between the perimeter and the interior that the Cavs lacked.

“That’s my job,” Garland told ClutchPoints after the game. “I’m going to try to get in the paint as much as I can for a lot of splashes. Get Jaylon (Tyson) some open threes, get his confidence up, give Evan some confidence, try to get JA in some lobs, couple dunks in the game. And me and Don, we’re doing our thing.”

“After Game 3 or 4, it was pretty clear that we had to try to drive the ball more and get to the paint and get to the rim,” Merrill added. “Before DG … sometimes, it’s just maybe the personnel. Like, I don’t drive the ball. We just don’t have all the guys that we need. So having DG back definitely helps. It helps with JA, it helps with Evan, and then the short roll. All that stuff.”

Physically, Garland did well. He ended his final shift of the game by striking out Kelly Oubre Jr. in the fourth quarter. He took the hits, stayed ahead and didn’t back down.

“I haven’t seen any kind of reduction in movement,” Atkinson said. “I thought he was moving really well. His balance was good. He wasn’t complaining about any pain. I didn’t feel like he was out of shape to any great extent. I thought he looked pretty good.”

“Even in the first quarter, I brought him out in regulation time, and I was like, ‘Man, he could keep playing.’ If it was a regular (situation), I probably would have left him in there. But I think his wind looked pretty good. Just a little off the beat.”

Of course, it will take some time for Garland to find his rhythm and shooting timing. However, his mere presence makes the difference for this team.

It’s been a long time coming for a CEO of a CEO to be back doing what he does best.

“It was boring. It’s hard not being with the team, not being with the guys,” Garland said. “But I’m happy to be back on the floor now.”