• Changing RCF's index page, please click on "Forums" to access the forums.

Darius Kinnard Garland

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

What is Darius Garland's Ceiling?

  • One Time All-Star

    Votes: 14 8.9%
  • Occasional All-Star

    Votes: 16 10.2%
  • 5-6 Time All-Star

    Votes: 31 19.7%
  • Perennial All-Star

    Votes: 40 25.5%
  • An All-NBA Team or Two

    Votes: 23 14.6%
  • Perennial All-NBA Teamer

    Votes: 20 12.7%
  • Occasional MVP Candidate

    Votes: 11 7.0%
  • Perennial MVP Candidate

    Votes: 2 1.3%
  • MVP, Baby!

    Votes: 10 6.4%
  • Being Jim Chones

    Votes: 12 7.6%

  • Total voters
    157
I'm still OK with Garland. I wanted Hunter after Z and Ja, once he was gone, I was able to be talked into Cam, Culver, Garland, Rui... and basically all those guys have been up and down this year.

Real issue with Garland: he doesn't have a veteran PG who should be taking his minutes when he isn't playing well. This was the same issue with Sexton after the Bucks trade (and noted that Hill didn't want to be a vet leader). This was also true with Cedi to a lesser degree last year.

Cavs really needed a veteran PG and a veteran wing at the deadline to help stabilize the ship, get the rookies in order. Drummond in a vacuum is ok, but the fact is, our best vets can't take minutes away from the young guys when they are screwing up or not playing well, because our best vets are all basically Centers and Power Forwards.
 
When Garland took an unnecessary one legged step back in the corner against Zubac in ISO situation after pounding the ball, all I could think about was Patrick Ewing's famous rant at Georgetown where he asked a player who took a bad shot this: "Step back one legged..What kind of shot was that? Have you ever shot that shot? Have you worked on that shot? When?!?

Guys on the team are consistently taking shots they're not equipped to take (Garland, Cedi, Nance, Drummond) which leads to a blowout in a hurry, which then leads to even more bad basketball for a long stretch.
 
When Garland took an unnecessary one legged step back in the corner against Zubac in ISO situation after pounding the ball, all I could think about was Patrick Ewing's famous rant at Georgetown where he asked a player who took a bad shot this: "Step back one legged..What kind of shot was that? Have you ever shot that shot? Have you worked on that shot? When?!?

Guys on the team are consistently taking shots they're not equipped to take (Garland, Cedi, Nance, Drummond) which leads to a blowout in a hurry, which then leads to even more bad basketball for a long stretch.

Agreed. I do think he needs to be coached. But it just seems like no one is being coached at the moment. Very similar to the Lue days. There just seems to be so much acting out and lack of control over the team.
 
When Garland took an unnecessary one legged step back in the corner against Zubac in ISO situation after pounding the ball, all I could think about was Patrick Ewing's famous rant at Georgetown where he asked a player who took a bad shot this: "Step back one legged..What kind of shot was that? Have you ever shot that shot? Have you worked on that shot? When?!?

Guys on the team are consistently taking shots they're not equipped to take (Garland, Cedi, Nance, Drummond) which leads to a blowout in a hurry, which then leads to even more bad basketball for a long stretch.
Garland has to try those step-back shots because he can't get his shot off any other way. He has to learn to get enough separation with his feet to get a normal jump shot off.
 
When Garland took an unnecessary one legged step back in the corner against Zubac in ISO situation after pounding the ball, all I could think about was Patrick Ewing's famous rant at Georgetown where he asked a player who took a bad shot this: "Step back one legged..What kind of shot was that? Have you ever shot that shot? Have you worked on that shot? When?!?

Guys on the team are consistently taking shots they're not equipped to take (Garland, Cedi, Nance, Drummond) which leads to a blowout in a hurry, which then leads to even more bad basketball for a long stretch.

Some of that is just a talent problem .

We have a lack of shot makers and someone has to take them.
 
IMO Garland has plenty of chances every game to take clean 3-pointers after coming around a pick. He's just hesitant to take them. He usually ends up dribbling around for 10 seconds or so, sometimes under the basket and back out again, before forcing a pass or bad shot. If I was Beilein I would tell him straight up: "We drafted you because of your shooting ability, stop being afraid to shoot!."
 
IMO Garland has plenty of chances every game to take clean 3-pointers after coming around a pick. He's just hesitant to take them. He usually ends up dribbling around for 10 seconds or so, sometimes under the basket and back out again, before forcing a pass or bad shot. If I was Beilein I would tell him straight up: "We drafted you because of your shooting ability, stop being afraid to shoot!."

This is a big problem with the team right now. All 3 of the young guards LOVE to pound the holy hell out of the ball.
 
IMO Garland needs to pattern his game after Fred VanVleet. Garland is listed at 6'1", 192; FVV is 6'1", 197. They appear to be very similar in body type.

FVV is shooting only 41.2% from the field but 39.6% on 3's. His 2-point percentage is 42.5%. Like most little men he has trouble finishing near the rim and it's tougher to get your mid-range jumper off when you're only 6'1". He makes up for it by hitting nearly 40% of his 3's.

Garland is at 35.4% so he needs to improve on his 3's. His 2-point percentage is identical to FVV. In terms of assists FVV has a big advantage (6.9 to 3.8 playing five more minutes), so Garland needs to get better there as well, although having Lowry, Siakam, and Leonard to pass to obviously helps Fred's assist numbers.

Garland tries to force too many passes into small windows. He still hasn't adjusted to the length and quickness of NBA players. His judgment will improve.

In terms of defense, FVV ranks 179 out of 491 in defensive rating by NBA.com. Garland ranks 452. Clearly Garland needs to make big strides defensively.

VanVleet is in his fourth NBA season and turns 26 this month. He's averaging 17.9 ppg and 6.9 assists. Garland is almost six years younger. I think Garland has a realistic chance of becoming a FVV clone, and it won't take six years. Maybe two. Mainly he needs to improve his defense and 3-point shooting. If he does he still won't justify being a #5 pick, but he'll be a good, contributing player who can start on a Championship team with the right players around him.

So if Sexton can develop into Kyle Lowry, Porter can become another Siakam (only 5" shorter), Drummond can be Marc Gasol, Nance can develop into a Serge Ibaka, and we can draft the next Kawhi Leonard we'll be all set.
May as well move the team to Canada too, something in the water over there
 
IMO Garland has plenty of chances every game to take clean 3-pointers after coming around a pick. He's just hesitant to take them. He usually ends up dribbling around for 10 seconds or so, sometimes under the basket and back out again, before forcing a pass or bad shot. If I was Beilein I would tell him straight up: "We drafted you because of your shooting ability, stop being afraid to shoot!."

Beilin at the end of the season need to tell Garland to stop being so passive. Most of his wide open three-point opportunities is when there's nobody around him. He needs to learn to shoot those opportunities and make them.

Even,Drummond and Tristan shoot on those opportunities then they're wide open.
 
Garland has to try those step-back shots because he can't get his shot off any other way. He has to learn to get enough separation with his feet to get a normal jump shot off.
or, and stay with me, maybe there's a better shot if he swings the ball. I'm all for Darius taking those floaters and adding the in-between game, and he absolutely should take open 3's on the kick out or if his defender goes under the screen. Not for off balance HORSE shots.
 
Some of that is just a talent problem .

We have a lack of shot makers and someone has to take them.

I get it as a fan but as a player it’s not his job to assess who should or shouldn’t take shots. Better living and dying by guys bricking open threes then taking awful shots. Guys pounding the ball and only passing after getting stifled inevitably leading to a TO fast break for the opposition has become the norm.
 
The more open 3's Garland takes the higher his percentage will be, IMO, as he relaxes and gains confidence. There's a much higher percentage of offensive rebounds on missed 3-point shots so not only is a made shot worth 50% more but you get more second chance opportunities. Finally, if you prove you can hit the shot consistently it forces defenders to press you more, opening up blow-bys.

Look at Love - he's proved he can knock down the 3 so his pump fake consistently gets defenders in the air or closing hard, opening up a foul situation or a blow-by.

Garland isn't going to help the team with his rebounding, shot blocking, or defense. His whole game is scoring and passing. Without an effective 3-point shot there's nothing he can do except dribble around until being forced to shoot under duress or just give the ball up to a teammate to restart the offense on a short clock.
 
Really no need to analyze Garland's game. It's out there and it's glaring.
He hasn't been good, and hopefully he settles in soon or next season and then we could analyze his game better.
I would put him on the bench for now and upgrade KPJ to a starter.
 
Couldn't agree more. Trying to build around two 6'2" guards who can't play defense. Hope Altman can trade one of them for meaningful assets in the offseason.
Culver’s shot worried me in college & he’s shooting 45% from the FT line this year. Not many successful wings that cant shoot a lick like Culver.

Coby White has gone through decent stretches this year but he’s bad defensively & not convinced of him ever being efficient + he’s not a PG at all.

Rui has been injured most of the year but has been solid when playing. He’s horrible defensively though and doesn’t stretch the floor at all. Not a good combo.

Hunter has been inconsistent & Reddish started off awful but both have been playing well & maybe figured things out.

Hunter last 13 games:
13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists on
45% / 37% / 75% - 55 TS%

Reddish last 13 games:
13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists on
45% / 45% / 80% - 57 TS%

Interested to see how all these guys + Garland finish. Advance stats are usually bad for rookies playing a ton of mins. Ending the season consistently playing well is huge for any rookie imo.
 

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Video

Episode 3-13: "Backup Bash Brothers"

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Spotify

Episode 3:11: "Clipping Bucks."
Top