Darius Kinnard Garland

[guitarguy]

So is he hurt? Gotta believe he's going to miss a game or two.

 

[Nphan]

So is he hurt? Gotta believe he's going to miss a game or two.

He's hurt again?

 

[guitarguy]

He's hurt again?

That ankle looked beat up around 2 minutes left and he basically could only walk for the end of the game, yet was kept in the game for some reason.

 

[buzzdog]

I agree with the first half of your post, but not the last. Gifted athletes are harder hit when their physical skills decline because they rely on being bigger, faster, more explosive. For many its difficult to adjust when they lose their natural advantage. The Garland types who have fought to earn their abilities to compete are less affected because they've had to battle to get where they are. They use smarts over physical traits. I'm not saying Garland's physical abilities are limited, they aren't. He's just the physical specimen who can overwhelm you on the court. He needs no-how, cleverness, and misdirection to excel, which he often provides. I do think the beating he took throughout this season has him playing only to a fraction of his ability. Coming back from no solid foods into the toughest part of the schedule is a tough ask. He (and Mitchell) won't be whole again until next season.

I hope you're right about his longevity. Even if he ends up elsewhere.

 

[bushwick_bill]

 

[2 For The Brew]

Has nothing to do with the injury. He peaked at 22 and it’s all downhill from there. We shoulda listened to Ozone and traded him during the draft.

 

[bushwick_bill]

 

[Thelastcavsfan]

Reminds me of mo Williams. Better than some stuff out there, but not good enough to be your second running mate.

 

[Futuredome]

More like van exel.

 

[Pierre Pan]

Reminds me of mo Williams. Better than some stuff out there, but not good enough to be your second running mate.

Not a bad comparison at all. They both made one All Star team , both were lousy defensively, similar size, both excellent free throw shooters. I liked Mo Williams a lot, too. I think he loved being in Cleveland and was truly heartbroken when LeBron left.

I think Garland is a nice guy, too and haven’t had a problem with his game prior to this season. The fact that the Cavs played so well without him coupled with his injuries have created that perfect storm of criticism against him, too. I just have grown so damn weary of his walking the ball up and getting us into these late shot clock situations which have for the most part been unsuccessful (especially without Mitchell) and they don’t play to our strengths. Moreover , his decision making and apparent lackadaisical approach becomes infuriating along with his continued insistence on getting caught in the air going nowhere.

With all that being srated above, I’m not convinced that a different and stronger handed coach wouldn’t make him and his fit more tenable; when he starts slowing things down, sub him out; let him play with the 2nd unit more , and just get his game back and make the fit better. Is he the ideal running mate? Not how he’s playing now. But, it’s not like he’s not talented and even listening to the Philly announcers last night, he‘s still held in high regard around the league. However, Thibs and Spo have exposed other weaknesses like no others with physical play and full court pressure. Whether he’s able to adapt (and/or JBB can) remains to be seen, but the way the Cavs played against Miami’s full court press was inexcusable for professional basketball players.

 

[Thelastcavsfan]

Not a bad comparison at all. They both made one All Star team , both were lousy defensively, similar size, both excellent free throw shooters. I liked Mo Williams a lot, too. I think he loved being in Cleveland and was truly heartbroken when LeBron left.

I think Garland is a nice guy, too and haven’t had a problem with his game prior to this season. The fact that the Cavs played so well without him coupled with his injuries have created that perfect storm of criticism against him, too. I just have grown so damn weary of his walking the ball up and getting us into these late shot clock situations which have for the most part been unsuccessful (especially without Mitchell) and they don’t play to our strengths. Moreover , his decision making and apparent lackadaisical approach become infuriating along with his continued insistence on getting caught in the air going nowhere.

With all that being srated above, I’m not convinced that a different and stronger handed coach wouldn’t make him and his fit more tenable; when he starts slowing things down, sub him out; let him play with the 2nd unit more , and just get his game back and make the fit better. Is he the ideal running mate? Not how he’s playing now. But, it’s not like he’s not talented and even listening to the Philly announcers last night, he‘s still held in high regard around the league. However, Thibs and Spo have exposed other weaknesses like no others with physical play and full court pressure. Whether he’s able to adapt (and/or JBB can) remains to be seen, but the way the Cavs played against Miami’s full court press was inexcusable for professional basketball players.

Agree 100 percent.

 

[PIP]

Lots of Paul Pierce here…

 

[Pierre Pan]

While that’s a nice accomplishment, there haven’t been that many Cavs that have played 5 seasons prior to 25. For example , Brad Daugherty ,who reached 5,000 points earlier in his 5th season than DG, didn’t play his first game as a pro until he was 21. AC didn’t play his first until he was 23 and so on. In fact, LBJ, Kyrie and DG may be the only 3 Cavs that have even played 5 seasons with the Cavs as starters prior to the age of 25

 

[Mr. Glass]

This clip is overly long but starts with Garland admitting to slacking on defense in recent games. (Charlotte...)

He played a pretty solid game last night including stout defense on Maxey. Please, God, let that become the norm.

I know it's asking a lot as the primary ball handler lately, and moreso when Don, LeVert, or Craig are out. But, frankly, the offensive side hasn't been reliably great to the point where you can forgive those defensive failings.

It does make me question his character. Even if it's just Charlotte, the seeding race matters. You shouldn't need much more than that to take the defensive side of things seriously. I've seen him make great defensive plays before. He's limited, sure, but I remember after the Ben Simmons incident where we pounded them 21-0. Garland was HUSTLING, getting skinny around screens, contesting perfectly. I'm not expecting him to go hound the ball like Pat Bev or Caruso or whatever, but I hope when we're healthy he'll show up consistently.

Overall Philly was encouraging.

 

[2 For The Brew]

While that’s a nice accomplishment, there haven’t been that many Cavs that have played 5 seasons prior to 25. For example , Brad Daugherty ,who reached 5,000 points earlier in his 5th season than DG, didn’t play his first game as a pro until he was 21. AC didn’t play his first until he was 23 and so on. In fact, LBJ, Kyrie and DG may be the only 3 Cavs that have even played 5 seasons with the Cavs as starters prior to the age of 25

Okoro after this season will have started at least half of each of his first four seasons. He shouldn’t start half of next season unless, like this season, there are a ton of injuries. He’ll come up just a bit short of the accomplishment.

Mobley is on pace for 5000 points and 3000 rebounds despite the injuries.

LeBron meant we traded away a lot of picks and we had some picks that either left the team or fell short (or both). Prior to LeBron it wasn’t as common to draft very young.