With two clunker performances in the last three days, after what was described as a reset week consisting of multiple practice days, the Cleveland Cavaliers are going through it right now. That should not take away from Darius Garland's willingness to grit his teeth and overcome obvious pain and discomfort in his toe to be out there for the Cavs during such a difficult stretch.
“I get paid a lot of money to do that, first and foremost. I love basketball,” Garland said after Cleveland's 119-111 overtime loss to the Charlotte Hornets. “I love being out there with my teammates, enjoying their success.”
“That's who he is, and who he is to us,” Donovan Mitchell added. “We know he's tough. We know he's fighting through a lot. But for him to continue to put the team first, that's what we need. I'm glad he had his best performance. He's gonna get better and better for us.”
As Mitchell relayed, this isn't about Garland's season-high 26 points or his nine assists.
It's about him playing a team-high 39 minutes after again tweaking an already-hurt and bothersome injury that's held him back since coming back from a reaggravation in Miami on November 10. It's about the infectious nature of his downhill offensive game and getting others involved. It's about him challenging Brandon Miller throughout the fourth quarter on the defensive end and taking an off-arm to the chest that could've sealed the game as an offensive foul.
“He broke through,” Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “He gets these stingers when he's got a hard change of direction, hard plant, and I thought he played through it tonight. I feel like he's starting to find it a little bit — starting to get by, starting to get to the rim, starting to get into the paint a little more — so that's a positive.”
Don't forget about Garland's deflections and defensive activity, including a block on Charlotte rookie Sion James' three-ball that secured a shot-clock violation.
“I mean, that's an All-Star,” Jaylon Tyson said. “That's our point guard. That's our guy. I'm gonna ride or die with him. I love him to death, and I appreciate everything he's done for me and this team. We're gonna keep rocking with him.”
Understandably sick of being asked about his toe injury, Garland didn't get into specifics about what happened in the fourth quarter when he fell to the ground and grabbed his left foot after a sudden dribble move. He did say it was the toe, though, so it's not a new injury.
“When you're coming back from an injury like this, there's a mental piece to it, and there's a frustration to it,” Atkinson said pregame Sunday. “My conversations with him [are], ‘Don't let the frustration bring down your energy.' His energy, personally, and then, the energy of the team. It's completely normal; we've all been there. You miss three 3s in a row, and you're just like [sigh]. No, you've still got to run back on defense, your energy still has to be good.
“It's for him, his emotional responses, but for him to get over that hump, but also to help his teammates, 'cause he's one of the leaders, he's one of the best players on this team. So those are really the conversations. I'm not talking about makes and misses. ‘While you're getting back from this injury, keep your energy in a great place, keep your teammates' energy in a great place.' That's one of his jobs as a leader.”
This past week, Garland opened up on that internal battle he's facing, including scheduling limitations and the physical aspect itself.
“It's been a struggle,” Garland said last Thursday after practice. “Of course, not playing in the games I want to play in and not playing back-to-backs has sucked. That was a doctor decision. That was a decision for all of us to make in the summertime when I had the surgery, so just trying to listen to the doctor, trying to be as healthy as I can for the time when we really need each other.”
Garland is here now, however, for the wine and gold at the most critical time. It's easy to lead when you're winning, but maintaining that spirit when Cleveland is in a seemingly never-ending funk is a necessity.
“I'm out there playing. I'm out there for my teammates, trying to win basketball games,” Garland said.
“He's looking outside himself,” added Atkinson, who saw him pick up the Cavs following a subpar first half vs. the Hornets. “He's engaging his teammates. He's talking to them. His positive spirit on the bench. I just loved his energy [Sunday]. That's what we need, and that's kind of the ask as he goes through this struggle to get back to the DG we know.”
Looking to engineer any type of boost, Garland is pleading with the crowd at Rocket Arena to help get the Cavs out of this rut.
“I know it's not a lot to cheer for right now, but we need the fans in it,” Garland said. “That gets us going. So when the fans [are] not in it, the bench has to be into it. Larry [Nance Jr.] did a really good job, and Thomas [Bryant], on the bench [Sunday]. Really doing everything they can to try to get some energy in the arena, standing up, screaming from the other side of the floor. Really trying to find that energy. That's what we need.”
Cleveland has another slow week of games coming up, with the Chicago Bulls next up in a home-and-home series starting in Chicago, so we'll have to wait until Friday to see if Garland's wish is granted.
