Darius Garland is the most decorated player we’ve covered so far, but he looks nothing like his former All-Star self in 2023-24.
A series of injuries immediately disrupted Garland’s season, the most significant being his broken jaw in mid-December. The injury cost Garland nearly six weeks and several pounds, as part of the recovery process involved having his jaw ligated. When he returned, the point guard was never quite the same.
Garland’s individual production has declined across the board: points, assists, three-point shooting, even free throw attempt rate. That’s contributed to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ offense’s decline. seventh in 2022-23 18th place last season, and that limited the team’s top four players – Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen – to just 819 possessions in total together, about half of what they were the previous year.
Garland isn’t Cleveland’s best player, but his absence and diminished status upon his return last year were clearly an issue. The bright side: He should be healthier and ready to lead Cleveland back into the top 10 on offense next season.
