Darius Garland Still Adjusting To Cavaliers' New Offense

Darius Garland has been in a shooting slump since returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers lineup.

Darius Garland is the type of point guard who loves to push the pace, pass first when he sees the open man, and is a tremendous long-range shooter. On paper, he should be a perfect fit in the Cleveland Cavaliers' new offensive identity. But for some reason, he's struggled to find his groove since returning from injury.

To be fair, there's no easy way to reacclimate yourself after missing almost a month and a half while that team has a dramatically different play style from earlier in the season. 

That's the dilemma that DG has faced over the last two weeks.

His play on the floor is unlike the typical Garland fans have seen since his rookie season. Since returning from his fractured jaw on January 31, DG is averaging just 12.8 points while shooting 48% from the floor and 27% from three. 

Garland's shooting slump is definitely something to keep notice of, but he's still proving to be more than a one-dimensional player. DG is averaging nearly six assists a game and is committing fewer turnovers a game than before the initial injury, something that was a bit of a problem early on in the season.

Feb 12, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) shoots over the defense of Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul Reed (44) during the second half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / © Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

J.B. Bickerstaff acknowledged after Cleveland's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers that Garland is still trying to physically get himself back to where he was. 

"I think he's getting more and more comfortable and I think his teammates understand what to expect out of him," said Bickerstaff. 

"Again, being out that long and not being able to do much for part of it, it was just going to take him a little bit of time. But we know how good Darius is and this next game will be good for him as far as the rhythm and then the [All-Star] break to get his body a little more accustomed to it all and he'll be good to go."

Bickerstaff is clearly being patient with Garland and fans should be too.