Chris Schwegler/NBAE by way of Getty Photographs
An injury-plagued 2023-24 season for Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland impacted extra than simply his capacity to assist the workforce on the court docket.
Talking to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, Garland admitted he “kind of misplaced my pleasure for basketball” as a result of a damaged jaw that saved him out for 19 video games in the midst 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 best path 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 powerful final 12 months. The momentum was choosing up. Was getting higher day by day. We have been getting higher as a workforce. I felt like I used to be beginning to be taught a lot after which … one other bump within the street, one other 12 months of adversity. I kind of misplaced my pleasure for basketball.”
The harm 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 identified 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 food regimen, and he needed to regain his energy earlier than taking part in in video games.
Cleveland began sluggish with a 13-12 report earlier than Garland’s harm, but it surely racked up 15 wins in 19 video games after he went down. The constructive momentum continued together 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 may search for a commerce if Donovan Mitchell remained in Cleveland. Though Mitchell did signal a three-year, $150.3 million extension in July, the Cavs rebuffed any commerce requests for Garland.
A wholesome Garland taking part in alongside Mitchell provides the Cavaliers top-of-the-line 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 p.c from three-point vary.
The mixture of a wholesome Garland and new head coach Kenny Atkinson has given the Cavs plenty 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.
