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In the wake of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ historic first-round dismantling of the Miami Heat, a sweep punctuated by back-to-back blowouts totaling a 92-point margin, Heat forward Kyle Anderson was asked to pinpoint what changed for the Cavs in Games 3 and 4, and it wasn't because of Darius Garland.
“You want my honest answer? I don’t mean to throw shots at anybody. … But they look like a better team without Garland on the floor,” Anderson told reporters. “Now I don’t know the numbers or anything, but I think it played more into their favor once Garland wasn’t on the floor. They were able to dictate the tempo and get more stops on defense, it’s harder for us to score.”
The numbers gave his comment some teeth. The Cavs, without All-Star point guard Darius Garland for the final two games due to a lingering big toe sprain, clamped down defensively. With Garland on the court, Cleveland had a defensive rating of 119.8. Without him, that number dropped to a suffocating 93.3. Miami never scored more than 89 points again.
But don’t try telling the Cavs that they’re better off without their starting point guard.
“I don’t listen to that,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I think we’re better with our All-Star point guard, personally.”
Atkinson has seen the speculation. He’s heard the chatter. He just doesn’t believe in it. Nor do Garland’s teammates.
“He’s huge,” Hunter said of Garland. “He scores. He facilitates. I think he stepped it up on the defensive end from what I watched this year as well. He’s a leader on this team. He’s a vocal guy. I love playing with him.
“We need him back for sure.”
The Cavs' depth has stepped up in Darius Garland's absence
The Cavs are hoping they’ll have Garland when their second-round series against the Indiana Pacers. Garland remains day-to-day with a sprained big toe, an injury he’s been battling since the end of the regular season and one Atkinson called “tricky.”
“The toe’s a tough one,” Atkinson said. “There’s pain and all that. But the good thing when we watch him shooting right now, he’s moving well.”
Garland has not progressed to contact drills and is officially day-to-day leading up to Game 1.
It’s a frustrating situation for both Garland and the team. He was off to a strong start against the Heat, scoring 27 and 21 points in the first two games. But after tweaking the toe again, the decision was made to sit him. The Cavs didn’t blink.
Ty Jerome and Sam Merrill filled in admirably. Max Strus and Jarrett Allen elevated their play. Evan Mobley continued his two-way evolution. And, as always, Donovan Mitchell led with poise and purpose.
It was a showcase of depth, not an indictment of Garland.
“It shows our depth,” Hunter explained. “We have a lot of guys that could play, even dudes that don’t play at all, and they can come in and contribute. D.G. is a big part of this team, and obviously you can’t make up what he does with just one player, so we had to come together as a team and try to pick up that slack.”
Indeed, that’s what these Cavs have become known for. Not one star. Not two. A balanced, cohesive group that won 64 games with contributions across the board. Seven different Cavs, including Garland, scored in double figures during the sweep.
Darius Garland helped Cleveland adjust to Miami's pressure
Still, Garland was at the center of Miami’s frustrations before he exited the series. After Game 2, he made headlines for pointing out Miami’s defensive weak links, suggesting the Cavs’ strategy was to “pick on” Tyler Herro and others. That drew a response from Herro and from Bam Adebayo, who took shots at Garland’s defense in return.
Technically, everyone had a point.
Garland was being targeted. Opponents shot 12-of-18 against him as the primary defender, per NBA.com’s matchup tracking. But to say the Cavs are better without him is to ignore the adjustments they made defensively, the natural evolution of a playoff series, and the sheer gap in talent between Cleveland and the overwhelmed eighth-seeded Heat.
“I think we started figuring some things out,” Atkinson explained. “Remember, earlier we were having a problem with Davion Mitchell getting downhill. We kind of adjusted to putting a bigger player on him. How we were playing Bam in the pick-and-roll. That was another one. Started to jam him more, so he didn’t get that pocket pass.”
Donovan Mitchell echoed that.
“I think as you go through a series, you learn more and more about tendencies,” Mitchell added. “You saw last year, the same way we played in Game 1 was not the same way we played in Game 7, because at that point, you know everything they’re running, you know where they want to go. As the series progresses, naturally, you’re going to be better just because you’ve seen the same team.”
What happens next will be a different test altogether.
Indiana brings a different kind of challenge, especially with the electric Tyrese Haliburton running the show. The Cavaliers know they’ll need point-of-attack defenders, smart switches, and sustained pressure. Atkinson hasn’t decided on a starting lineup if Garland can’t go. Merrill was the plug-in starter against Miami, but against Indiana, a more defensive-minded option could be on the table.
That decision is for another day. For now, all eyes are on Garland, and all ears are tired of the narrative. No, the Cavs don’t believe they’re better without him. And they’re eager to prove it.
