The 33-4 Cleveland Cavaliers are riding high on a 12-game winning streak and have had just about everything go right for them this season.
As the season nears the halfway point, the All-Star break is around the corner, and point guard Darius Garland is likely a lock to make his second All-Star team.
First-year head coach Kenny Atkinson recently admitted how surprised he was at one narrative surrounding his star point guard that dated back to his rookie year and always confused him when he was coaching elsewhere.
Team insider Evan Dammarell told X that Atkinson was stunned to learn that Garland was considered the worst point guard in the NBA after his rookie year.
“He’s a top-five point guard in the league. He was always so hard to gameplan for. I’ve always had an elevated opinion of him,” Atkinson said.
#Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson was stunned when he learned that Darius Garland was considered “worst in the NBA” after Garland’s rookie season.
“He’s a top five point guard in the league he was always so hard to gameplan for. I’ve always had an elevated opinion of him.”
— Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan) January 11, 2025
Garland averaged just 12.3 points and 3.9 assists per game as a rookie while starting 59 games, and while he was unexceptional, he showed flashes of greatness.
He had a typical season for a rookie point guard with the questionable talent surrounding him.
However, the narrative around the league was that he was one of the worst starting point guards, which was pretty indisputable given how deep the position was at the time.
That was a long time ago.
Garland is now one of the best in the business.
His efficiency is better than ever, and he has career highs in field-goal, three-point, and free-throw percentages while averaging a career-low 2.3 turnovers per game.
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