Darius Garland was the No. 5 overall pick in 2019, and he is currently a very solid player who just happens to be on a bad team. Over the course of the 2020-21 season, Garland averaged 17.4 PPG and 6.1 APG, while shooting 45.1% from the field and 39.5% from beyond the arc. He has improved in most statistical categories from his rookie season, and he's still 21.
A recent poll conducted by HoopsHype asked 15 executives their opinions on who which players could potentially have breakout seasons next year. Darius Garland was the top vote-getter among all the players on the list.
Garland, who was limited to 54 games last season, showed flashes of breakout potential in April when he averaged 20.5 points on 48 percent shooting overall and 38.5 percent from beyond the arc with 7.3 assists for the Cavaliers.
“In theory, you’re picking a younger player who hasn’t broken out yet because of some reason, whether it’s either injuries or team dynamics, and they still have to have untapped upside,” an NBA executive explained. “Garland checks those boxes.”
“I think Garland’s kind of gotten lost in the shuffle in terms of people knowing who he is because of Colin Sexton,” an NBA scout opined. “If he stays healthy, I like picking him.”
There's no doubt that Darius Garland is an underrated player. If he does end up developing even further, he and Collin Sexton will be a fairly good backcourt. However, Sexton staying on the team isn't guaranteed though, as there have been some previous reports suggesting that the Cavaliers could trade Collin Sexton.
It remains to be seen whether Darius Garland will end up building on his great 2020-21 season, but the potential for him to be a great player is certainly there. Hopefully, Garland is able to improve, and perhaps we'll see an improvement in the wins column for the Cleveland Cavaliers as a result of Garland's potential improvement.
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