Darius Garland is in his seventh season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. But could the All-Star guard be part of the problem with the Cavs right now?
are wondering what could have been after a 126-124 loss to the New York Knicks on Christmas Day inside Madison Square Garden."This one hurts. Garland was excellent for long stretches against the Knicks, playing an enormous role in the Cavs' runs in the first and third quarters.
This season has gone poorly for Garland, but, when he was pushing the pace and finding his teammates easy opportunities in transition, Cleveland was merrily rolling along," CBS Sports contributor James Herbert wrote. "Garland finished with 20 points and 10 assists in 36 minutes and generally looked healthy. Down the stretch, though, the Cavaliers unraveled, and Garland scored only two points on 1-for-5 shooting in the fourth quarter."The Cavs need to find ways to get Garland more involved down the stretch. Donovan Mitchell is the best player on the team, but he cannot carry the load by himself like he used to. If the Cavs are going to be a true contender in the Eastern Conference, they need to trust players outside of Mitchell or get new ones. "It's not just disheartening that Mitchell and Garland were outplayed by Brunson and Kolek in crunch time. It's disheartening that, despite all the good that Garland did, Cleveland appeared overly reliant on Mitchell to create offense when the game got tight. This could have been a galvanizing win for Garland and the Cavaliers, but they let it slip through their fingers," Herbert wrote. This could be a sign that Garland's time in Cleveland is coming to an end soon. The Cavs need a legitimate point guard to play alongside Mitchell if they want to take another step in the Eastern Conference. Garland is a really good player, but it's possible that he may not be the right fit for what Mitchell and the Cavs are trying to do. Garland and the Cavaliers will go back to the drawing board before they take on Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets in their next game. Tip-off is scheduled for Saturday at 8:00 p.m. ET inside the Toyota Center. Fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management.Dillon Brooks Needled LeBron James Again With Subtle Move in Lakers’ Loss to Suns
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