Five years ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers made a rather bold pick.
Despite his lack of experience, they still decided to roll the dice with Darius Garland by taking him with the No. 5 pick out of Vanderbilt.
Garland showed flashes of great play, and it seemed like he had finally broken out in his third season when he became an All-Star.
Then, with injuries, inconsistent play, and taking a step back on offense to accommodate himself next to Donovan Mitchell, it seemed like his development had stalled.
Now, under Kenny Atkinson’s tutelage, he’s playing his best basketball yet.
That’s why Ty Jerome believes he should be an All-Star again.
Moreover, he thinks he should even be a starter (via Mikey McNuggets).
Ty Jerome: Darius Garland should be an All-Star starter this year. pic.twitter.com/jjLuj2CvTV
— Mikey McNuggets (@MikeLucasTV) November 9, 2024
Truth be told, you could definitely make a valid case for that.
Through the first ten games of the season, the 25-year-old point guard has averaged 20.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.2 steals, and 3.6 three-pointers per game on 52.4/48.0/94.4 shooting splits.
Even if the Cavs are due for some regression and there’s still plenty of basketball to be played this season, Garland is well on pace to join the exclusive 50/40/90 club this season.
The best part about his newly-found confidence is that it also allows Donovan Mitchell to stay fresh for when it matters the most.
He no longer has to do all the heavy lifting.
Also, with Garland keeping everybody involved in the offense, the rest of the supporting cast is also finding wide-open shots.
The Cavs’ offense has been very efficient this season, and Garland deserves a lot of credit for that.
NEXT: Kenny Atkinson Sends A Clear Message About Cavs' Offense
