Cleveland Cavaliers' Koby Altman Compares Darius Garland to Warriors Superstar

“Darius, and again, nobody wants to have surgery, no one wants to be injured, this offseason is going to be huge for him,” Altman said during the broadcast of Cleveland’s Las Vegas Summer League win over the Milwaukee Bucks. “To add that weight we want. That strength. That armor. [For him] to really become [a player] on a different level.

“I’m not comparing him to Steph (Curry) but Steph was a different animal during those Finals than what he is now. He’s so strong. And that’s where we want Darius to get to. We want Darius to add that armor. Stephen Curry is a great example of how you can continue to grow and evolve with your body type [and] that skillset. That’s what we want Darius to do.

“I think this offseason, since he can’t touch a basketball for a few months, he’s going to be in the weight room. He’s in Cleveland now working with the great G.O. (George Sibel, Cavaliers Physical Therapist), the best P.T. in the world and they’re getting it in.”

While Curry struggled with injuries early into his career, committed to strengthening his core muscles and hips to handle the physicality the NBA brings, evolving into an all-time great. This approach led to Curry leading Golden State to four championships in the last decade, proving that adding that strength and the armor Altman eluded to being the reason.

If Garland maintains a similar approach, allowing him to remain healthy and available, he could have a similar evolution into his own kind of different animal. With the added strength, Garland could become a lethal three-point threat that rips the hearts out of opposing teams, and, more importantly, an offensive dynamo that can carry a team to multiple championships.