In his nine games back in action after jaw surgery, things haven't been the easiest for Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland. In 26.9 minutes per contest, Garland only averages 12.7 points on 47.3% shooting along with 6.0 assists. While his assist numbers are only a hair below his career average of 6.6 dimes per game, Darius Garland's scoring is the lowest since his rookie season.
Granted, a lot of that has to do with rust, since Darius Garland could not play through the wire and was limited activity-wise to keep his heart rate in check. It also doesn't help that Garland lost 12 pounds after being forced to consume smoothies and blended meals instead of normal food. So Garland's struggle to find his footing on the court is understandable – especially with the Cavaliers adopting a new offensive style while he was sidelined.
No matter what, it's going to take time for Garland to find his cadence on the court again for Cleveland. Now that his minute restriction has been lifted as the Cavaliers exit the All-Star break, he'll have even more time on the floor to find himself within Cleveland's new offensive flow. At first, it may seem easier said than done since the Cavaliers nor Garland can rush things. But, in the eyes of head coach JB Bickerstaff, there are ways he and his coaching staff can make it easier for Garland to get back on track.
JB Bickerstaff's approach with Darius Garland
“He's elite when he plays when he's comfortable and plays within himself and plays his game,” said JB Bickerstaff. “It's been hard for him because of the in and out and there was so much choppiness in the changes that we were making, but again, his message is the same as everybody else's message. Be the most aggressive, competent version of yourself. I think we've all seen what happens when he's there. And whatever he needs to be more comfortable, that's on me to help him. But again, we just want him to be confident, play selflessly, and compete his tail off.
“… we're always in constant communication of what I need to do to find the best version of himself and to get him back on track.”
Thankfully, even in his brief return to the court, Garland is showing signs of being the player everyone expects him to be thanks in part to JB Bickerstaff's scheming.
To start games, Bickerstaff finds a balance between empowering Garland to run as the de facto ball handler and having Garland play off the ball to Donovan Mitchell instead. When Garland is off the ball, Bickerstaff will have the Cavs run off-ball cuts and screens to allow Garland to break through defenses, finding easy looks on the perimeter. More often than not, Garland is wide open, leading to a quick and easy three-points.
If the look isn't there, Garland is still empowered to find an open teammate from the side actions and cuts used to get him open in the first place. Cleveland will run this for the first few minutes to start the game to allow Garland to warm up a bit before relegating him to the bench. But, when the second quarter begins, Garland takes over as the lone point guard on the floor, allowing the offense to run through him exclusively.
While it's still a work in progress, it is a recipe for success for Garland and the Cavs. With his minute restriction now lifted, Garland and Bickerstaff can continue to work together to get the wind back in the star guard's sails. Again, it won't happen immediately, but Garland should be ready in time for when Cleveland prepares for its playoff run.
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