Darius Garland Is Right at Home with the LA Clippers

Making His Impact Felt

A key aspect of Darius Garland’s integration is the chemistry he has developed with Kawhi Leonard and his other teammates. Garland knows that Leonard is the leader of the pack; therefore, he’s committed to easing Leonard’s workload on the court. The gravity created by Leonard is one that Garland looks to take full advantage of.

“I let Kawhi go be Kawhi, bro,” he said of fitting alongside Leonard. “Try to get him some open shots in transition. Try to do everything so he won’t get double teamed…Then if he needs a break, I can try to make a play for someone else or make a play for myself.”

Garland has a +13.8 net rating on the floor as a Clipper; with Kawhi, the two have a net rating of +17.1. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Clippers boast a sizzling 128.4 offensive rating with Garland on the court, ranking in the 100th percentile. Though a small sample size (272 minutes), it doesn’t take statistical data to understand his impact on the team. 

Garland thrives in the pick-and-roll and is more than comfortable creating shots for himself or others. His high playmaking ability allows for lobs or slip passes to centers John Collins and Brook Lopez. His shiftiness helps him slither in between defenders with ease and keep opponents on their toes. Garland’s quickness has also contributed to the Clippers pushing the ball up the court faster, settling into plays before defenders can get back.

Leonard is eager to continue utilizing his playmaking, particularly in moments where the offense needs a jolt.

“We’re gonna be looking at him to get us involved, get him some shots, pushing the pace in transition for us, and just getting everybody involved and calling sets so we’re not stagnant all the time,” he said. 

Family Affair

The 26-year-old’s union with the Clippers has family ties as well. Garland’s father, Winston, played for the Clippers between 1990 and 1991. The linkup has Winston overjoyed to see his son suited up for his old team.

“We’re super excited for him, man,” Winston said before Darius made his Clippers debut. “He’s just starting another chapter in his career, and yeah, man. I can’t wait to see what unfolds.”

He cites his son’s outgoing personality as integral in getting acclimated with his new team. 

“He’s a seamless fit pretty much anywhere you put him, and he’s very much a people person. (He) enjoys and loves his teammates, so that helps him out a lot.”

Darius considers his dad to be his best friend and tries to model himself after him in all things in life. Garland used to call his dad after every game to pick his basketball brain. The basketball bond the father-son duo shares is what makes his trade to L.A. full circle.

With Darius now a part of the Clippers, he has a chance to blaze his own trail in L.A.

Keeping up the Strong Play

There are only two weeks left in the regular season. Ahead of their matchup with the Raptors, the Clippers sit at the eighth seed and are 7-3 when Garland plays. With a Play-In matchup looking likely, the Clippers will rely on Garland even more to help reach the postseason.

In his brief time with the team, Garland has already shown the value he brings to the table.

Kawhi may have said that the team’s chances of contending this year were over in February, but Garland is proving that it is too early to count out the Clippers.