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The Cleveland Cavaliers are staring down the start of the Eastern Conference Semifinals with more questions than answers, none more pressing than the status of All-Star point guard Darius Garland. Officially listed as questionable with a left great toe sprain, Garland’s absence looms large over Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers and potentially the rest of the series. It’s a setback that could either deepen Cleveland’s resolve or derail their postseason momentum.
Garland hasn’t suited up since Game 2 of the first-round series against the Miami Heat. He missed the final two games of that series and also sat out a pair of contests to close the regular season. While he did participate in a practice on Friday, head coach Kenny Atkinson held him out of Saturday’s session by design. The final decision on his availability will hinge on how his toe responds the morning before Game 1 after alternating between ice and warm treatments.
“We’ll see [about Game 1],” Atkinson admitted. I think the feedback from tomorrow [will determine if he can play]. What does it feel like tomorrow?”
Who will fill in for the Cavs if Darius Garland remains sidelined?
In the meantime, Cleveland has been preparing for multiple scenarios. Sam Merrill filled in admirably for Garland against Miami, and while he’s the presumed starter, Atkinson has been reluctant to commit.
“We have multiple options,” Atkinson said when asked who could fill in for Garland as a starter. “I’ll just say, [it’s a] different matchup. … You look at what fits best on both sides of the ball.”
One of those options for the Cavs could be Isaac Okoro, who saw limited minutes late in the Heat series. Okoro’s defensive potential on Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton makes him a viable candidate. Atkinson emphasized that Okoro is in the rotation regardless, citing his ability to generate extra possessions and defend the perimeter, both crucial against Indiana’s frenetic pace. But again, offense matters, too.
“When Ice, the same thing with all of our role players, when they hit one or two threes, it changes the story,” Atkinson said. “That’s always been my message all year. We need you guys to keep firing up open ones.”
Ty Jerome is another name to watch. He torched Indiana for 24 points and six assists in an April meeting, showcasing a dangerous pull-up game that could exploit the Pacers' defensive gaps. On Saturday, Jerome stayed late after practice, drilling threes off high pick-and-rolls under the watchful eye of assistant coach Mike Gerrity.
“We’ll see how they guard this time, but kind of our offensive strategy won’t change much,” Jerome said. “I don’t think how we found [our] offense is no secret.”
That offense includes attacking in the midrange and utilizing floaters to navigate around shot-blocker Myles Turner.
Asked how to counter Turner, Jerome smiled: “I float over him.”
Who sets the pace will determine this series
Still, the Cavs know Indiana brings more than shot-blocking. They bring pace, a relentless, breakneck pace. To prepare, Cleveland’s defenders have been drilling against live-action fast breaks that start deep in transition, mimicking how quickly the Pacers turn defense into offense.
“We can’t change who we are,” Atkinson said. “All of a sudden we’re [not] going to become a slow-up team. … We still have to keep our identity. We’re not telling our guys, ‘Hey, we got to make this a 94 possession game.’ That’s not it. … Defensively, we just have to be really locked in.”
What Cleveland does best, when healthy, is leverage a deep roster with elite defensive upside. That depth may be tested early and often in this series. With Garland’s status uncertain, every rotation decision matters. The Cavs went 4-3 without Garland in the regular season and are 2-0 without him this postseason. That shows that Cleveland's system holds up. However, it's also a warning of how thin the margin for error becomes.
“Darius is our leader,” Jerome said. “He’s an All-Star. Our depth is important if he plays, [and] our depth is important if he doesn’t play. Obviously, we hope he’s available, and if he’s not, we’ll be ready.”
The Cavs will have to be. Indiana is not just fast. They’re deep. They survived and advanced by outlasting a star-heavy Milwaukee Bucks team, showing they can rotate through nine or ten players without losing rhythm.
“They can match our depth a little bit,” Atkinson admitted. “That’s an interesting kind of take on this series because they’re so high-paced, they have to play more guys. They can’t play seven guys. You can’t play like that. So they trust their depth. We trust our depth. It’s going to be who can do it for longer.”
That’s what it comes down to in the playoffs: endurance, identity, and execution. For the Cavaliers, Game 1 is more than just the start of a series—it’s a test of what kind of team they are without their point guard at full strength. Whether Garland suits up or not, Cleveland’s response will define their postseason trajectory.
