Soon after he left the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden infamously said that he isn't a system player, but rather he is “the” system on offense. Harden blamed the Sixers for pigeonholing him on offense and limiting his abilities as a former MVP alongside reigning MVP Joel Embiid and rising star Tyrese Maxey. Well, whether or not Harden was right about Philadelphia making him a system player, the Sixers got a taste of what a player being the offensive system is like when they faced the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Darius Garland, who has been an integral figure in the three wins in Cleveland's winning streak, is that player for the Cavs. From wire to wire, Garland had Cleveland moving in harmony on offense, acting as a maestro with his passing and a cold-blooded killer with his scoring. But, like any respectable maestro or, more importantly, the Cavs' offensive system, Garland didn't rush to the final crescendo, instead killing Philadelphia softly and gradually for a full game plus overtime.
Always starting methodical in his approach, Garland finished the first quarter with four points and three assists, offloading the scoring responsibilities to his teammates and some playmaking duties to backup guard Craig Porter Jr. at times. With the tempo set, Garland turned the page heading into the second frame, dialing up the pressure even further on the Sixers, with backbreaking assists to Max Strus on the perimeter or slicing and dicing Embiid and company on the interior.
Darius Garland is the Cavs' system
With his teammates satiated in the first half, Garland turned on his scoring in the second, scoring 18 points and dishing out two assists in the final frames of regulation. Mind you, he didn't change the flow of anything when he started pouring it on offensively; an offensive system wouldn't do that. Instead, he played at the same pace and cadence that he dictated in the opening frame, applying constant pressure to Philadelphia inside and drawing plenty of opportunities at the free-throw line.
Overall, Garland connected on 100% of his eight attempts at the charity stripe and, more importantly, set the stage for overtime after making the game's biggest play.
It's even funnier to think that Dean Wade, who made a circus 3-pointer of his own against the Denver Nuggets, was the one who made the pass for that Garland heave. But that shot by Garland crystalizes the belief that the Cavs are at their best on offense when everything is heliocentric to his passing and scoring. While there are risks that come with that approach that could break rather than make games for Cleveland. But, with how talented Garland is on offense, those risks come across as few and far between.
It's also worth stating that all this has happened for Garland lately without sharing the floor with Donovan Mitchell. This isn't some cheap lead-up to say that the Cavs should trade Mitchell immediately and fully commit to exclusively Garland on offense. Instead, when Mitchell comes back to the floor, it'll be a learning and growing process to find his place as the Robin to Garland's Batman.
On paper and in execution, the tandem of Garland and Mitchell is the best backcourt in the NBA most nights. With this sudden surge from Garland and Mitchell's red-hot offensive motor, most nights will become every night sooner rather than later. More than anything, it'll just take time and when the team continues riding high like this, it'll become the new normal for Cleveland.
But until that happens, at least the Sixers got to see what an offensive system looks like since Harden in Philadelphia was never as lethal as Garland.
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