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An injury-plagued 2023-24 season for Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland impacted extra than simply his means to assist the group on the courtroom.
Chatting with Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, Garland admitted he “kind of misplaced my pleasure for basketball” as a consequence of a damaged jaw that stored him out for 19 video games in the course of the season:
“I can nonetheless do not forget that play. I used to be making an attempt to make strides, making an attempt to take steps in the correct course and making an attempt to get higher after which, increase, I actually get hit in my face and it is again to d— close to sq. one another time. That is what made it so robust final yr. The momentum was selecting up. Was getting higher day by day. We have been getting higher as a group. I felt like I used to be beginning to be taught a lot after which … one other bump within the highway, one other yr of adversity. I kind of misplaced my pleasure for basketball.”
The damage occurred when Garland’s face made contact with Kristaps Porziņģis on a drive to the basket throughout a Dec. 14 sport between the Cavs and Boston Celtics. He left the sport with blood dripping from his mouth however was in a position to return, ending with 19 factors in 36 minutes.
Garland was later recognized with a fractured jaw that required surgical procedure. He misplaced 12 pounds afterward as a result of his jaw was wired shut, limiting him to a liquid weight loss program, and he needed to regain his energy earlier than enjoying in video games.
Cleveland began sluggish with a 13-12 report earlier than Garland’s damage, but it surely racked up 15 wins in 19 video games after he went down. The constructive momentum continued along with his return on Jan. 31, because the Cavs received eight of their first 9 video games with him again within the lineup.
There was speculation that Garland might search for a commerce if Donovan Mitchell remained in Cleveland. Although Mitchell did signal a three-year, $150.3 million extension in July, the Cavs rebuffed any commerce requests for Garland.
A wholesome Garland enjoying alongside Mitchell offers the Cavaliers among the best backcourt duos within the NBA. They each averaged greater than 20 factors per sport of their first season as teammates in 2022-23, with Garland capturing a career-high 41.0 % from three-point vary.
The mix of a wholesome Garland and new head coach Kenny Atkinson has given the Cavs lots of optimism heading into this season.
If Atkinson is ready to maximize the expertise of Garland, Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in ways in which former head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was unable to, the Cavaliers have the top-end expertise to be a Finals contender within the Jap Convention for the primary time since LeBron James left after the 2017-18 season.
