The Cleveland Cavaliers have been playing wonderful basketball lately and have climbed all the way up to the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
But even though they have shown tremendous growth over the last few months, several players still have something to prove before the season concludes.
Speaking on ESPN Cleveland, analyst Nick Paulus said that Darius Garland is the one he is watching as the team pushes into the second half of the season.
Paulus said that Garland “hasn’t looked right in a lot of sets since being back over the last three weeks.”
“Since he’s been back, it’s been hit-or-miss with me,” he added.
Which Cavs player has the most to prove the rest of the season? @NickPaulus says it's Darius Garland… pic.twitter.com/14tz4Fyhgv
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) February 23, 2024
Before his lengthy absence a few months ago, Garland was posting double-digit totals every night, including multiple games with 26 points and another with 36.
Then he was gone for weeks because of a massive jaw injury before returning at the very end of January.
Since then, he has only scored more than 20 points one time and has had a few games with single-digit totals.
Of course, players sometimes require a lengthy adjustment period before they totally look like their regular selves again.
It is possible that Garland is still getting back into the swing of playing with his team and might need more time to get to 100%.
However, Garland has been showing some positive signs of life lately.
On Thursday night, Garland scored 18 points and 10 assists, earning his first double-double of the season.
The Cavaliers aren’t getting any rest as they have another game on Friday night against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Following that, they will battle the Washington Wizards, Dallas Mavericks, and Chicago Bulls in the days ahead.
Will Garland give the sort of performance during that time that Paulus will be happy with?
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