It’s been a roller-coaster season for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They started slow out of the gates, found their footing at the end of the calendar year going on an 18-3 stretch, and now they find themselves up against the ropes coming out of the All-Star Break.
One player in particular has struggled with consistency all season long for a variety of reasons. Darius Garland’s slow start only got worse when he found out in the middle of December he fractured his jaw which would sideline him the next month and a half.
Since returning from the injury in late January, DG’s struggles have been a target by Cavs fans looking for something to explain the team’s
Garland’s backcourt counterpart doesn’t want to hear a single negative word about DG’s stats. Donovan Mitchell sounded off to the media on Thursday about the narrative surrounding the Cavaliers point guard.
“The way people have been talking is f- ridiculous,” said Mitchell. “It’s bulls—. It’s not fair … I’m on social media and I feel like people aren’t giving him the benefit of the doubt. I want to speak on that because I think it’s bulls—. At the end of the day, he is a kid that has proven himself, not only to the Cleveland fanbase but this league as well. They’re ready to rag on a kid for, what, one half of a season? I think that is b.s.”
Since returning from his injury at the end of January, Garland is averaging 14.1 points, 6.7 assists, and 1.7 rebounds while shooting 46% from the floor and 32% from behind the arc. The Cavaliers as a team are 9-3 during that stretch.
The animosity toward Garland has been harsh. Remember, this is a player who was on a liquid-only diet, lost 10 pounds, and regained that weight back during his injury rehab. That’s a lot to take on physically never mind the whole basketball part.
There’s a reason that Cleveland decided to sign DG to a long-term extension. He’s proven himself as an All-Star-level point guard and, as Mitchell said, deserves the benefit of the doubt.
