The Massive Concern For Cleveland Cavaliers' Darius Garland, Revealed

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland may have a tough time finding his groove so long as the team remains as currently constructed.

Apr 2, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) reacts to a play against the Utah Jazz during the fourth quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland did not have a great season this past year. It wasn't exactly a nightmarish campaign, but the former All-Star did regress.

In 57 games in 2023-24, Garland averaged 18 points, 6.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals over 33.4 minutes per game on 44.6/37.1/83.4 shooting splits.

That was a significant step backward from the preceding season, when Garland registered 21.6 points a night and enjoyed the most efficient year of his career.

So, what exactly is the problem with Garland?

Tyler Watts of King James Gospel thinks that the Cavaliers' questionable roster construction has made life incredibly difficult for the Vanderbilt product.

While Watts cites the addition of Donovan Mitchell as a reason for Garland's shaky offensive output this past year, he zeroes in on Cleveland's two-big lineup, which has made it more of a task for Garland to get into the paint.

Watts adds that Garland is being asked to create his own shot a bit too much and is getting very little help from his teammates in terms of setting him up for easy baskets.

Of course, it should be noted that Garland was wildly successful in Mitchell's first season in Cleveland. It was only last year where the 24-year-old struggled, resulting in trade speculation.

But the 2023-24 campaign was a weird one for Garland and the Cavs in general. The former No. 5 overall pick missed extensive time due to injuries, as did Mitchell and Evan Mobley.

Perhaps a healthier season from Garland and the rest of the Cavaliers' core will allow the point guard to have a stronger year in 2024-25.

However, Watts seems to think that Garland simply won't get that opportunity in Cleveland and goes as far to say that the Cavs have put him in "an impossible position."

We'll see if Garland is able to right the ship in the fall, and if not, he may see his name surface in trade rumors yet again.