The NBA is at the center of a storm as players and owners are in talks about how to change format for more competitive games. This could be an indication that this season’s playoffs weren’t very exciting, which would trickle down into the rest of professional sports moving forward.
Darius Garland delivered an ominous message with his dominant NBA play-in tournament performance. The Memphis Grizzlies’ point guard had a triple double in the win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
On April 12, the Cleveland Cavaliers faced a difficult assignment in attempting to upset the Brooklyn Nets in a one-game playoff. The Nets won the NBA Play-In Tournament Game to win the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference as predicted, but the Cavs put up a fight.
With little over five minutes remaining, Cleveland rallied from a 20-point deficit in the first quarter to make it a six-point game. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, on the other hand, were just too much for the Nets, who won 115-108.
Despite the setback, the Cavs’ Darius Garland put up a strong effort. In the process, he delivered a frightening warning to the rest of the NBA: Garland is coming.
During the NBA Play-In Tournament defeat, Darius Garland maintained his outstanding season.
On April 12, 2022, Cleveland Cavaliers’ Darius Garland (left) dribbles against Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant during the NBA Play-In Tournament. Getty Images/Sarah Stier
The Cavs have been plagued by injuries all season, beginning with Collin Sexton, who had led the club in scoring for the previous two seasons until suffering a knee injury in November.
Sexton’s absence was a huge loss for the club, and there were occasions when they might have benefited from his scoring ability. Garland, on the other hand, has had a breakthrough year despite his absence from the lineup.
With 21.7 points and 8.6 assists per game, the Vanderbilt graduate was named to his first All-Star team this season. He also made 46.2 percent of his field goals and 38.3 percent of his three-point attempts.
Garland’s performance improved as the year progressed. He averaged 24.8 points and 10.0 assists in the last 21 games of the season.
His domination continued against the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA Play-In Tournament.
Despite Brooklyn’s strong start and Garland’s lack of postseason experience, the third-year guard remained calm and collected. On 54.1 percent shooting, he had 34 points and five assists. He also connected on three of his six long-range shots.
If other NBA clubs didn’t see it before, they do now: Garland has the potential to be a superstar.
In the NBA, Darius Garland has superstar potential.
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When Garland first joined the league, he was compared to Stephen Curry. That may sound excessive, and Curry, who is one of Garland’s greatest supporters, is clearly a superior player at this time. However, the Cavs’ fifth overall choice in 2019 has the potential to be a franchise player.
He’s grown into a fantastic three-point shooter who commands respect on the perimeter. He does, however, have the quickness and agility to go past opponents and score close to the basket. When the path is crowded, Garland uses his exceptional vision to locate his teammates in ideal spots.
DG made NBA history earlier this season when he became the youngest player to average at least 25.0 points and 12.0 assists in a 10-game span. Oscar Robertson, Isiah Thomas, and Chris Paul were the only other players to achieve that feat at the age of 22.
That’s a unique group of people.
While Garland has the ability to become a star, he also has the maturity to do so. He has been the captain of this Cavs team for the whole season, and in the play-in game against the Nets, he shown that no occasion is too important for him.
The contest between Brooklyn and Cleveland yielded several takeaways. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving both had outstanding performances. Darius Garland, on the other hand, proved to the NBA that he is the genuine thing and that the Cavs can be a dominating force for years to come.
Basketball Reference and ESPN provided the statistics.
RELATED: When Was the Last Time the Cleveland Cavaliers Made the Playoffs Without LeBron James?
Darius Garland delivered an ominous message with his dominant performance in the NBA play-in tournament. The Memphis Grizzlies point guard led his team to a victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, scoring 23 points on 10 field goals and nine assists in just 24 minutes of action. Reference: darius garland season stats.
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