Darius Garland's Clippers Debut Coming at the Perfect Time

The Los Angeles Clippers have 18 games on their schedule in March. That is the most games any team has played in a month since 2017. This stretch includes four sets of back-to-backs and doesn't include more than a day of rest between any game, making this a make-or-break month for the 27-31 LA Clippers. To close the three-game gap between themselves and the No. 8 seed Golden State Warriors, the Clippers need to begin March on the right foot.

Fortunately, they are getting reinforcements at the perfect time. Darius Garland, who has yet to make his Clippers debut, is reportedly inching towards a return. The former All-Star guard will miss the Pelicans game on Sunday, but "could return on a minutes restriction for Monday's nationally-televised game at Golden State," per The Athletic's Law Murray.

Clippers Desperately Need Darius Garland Ahead of Brutal March Schedule

The timing of Garland's return should excite Clippers fans. LA can't afford to lose games to their direct Play-In rivals, the Warriors. Garland's debut, coinciding with the opportunity to cut into Golden State's lead, should give the Clippers a boost for the final stretch of the season.

LA has been fighting admirably in Garland's absence, but their need for more playmaking, shooting, and scoring has been obvious. Since James Harden's departure, the Clippers haven't had a traditional point guard, putting too big a load on Kawhi Leonard. The star forward has been dealing with a lingering ankle injury as well, which put a cap on the Clippers' offensive ceiling.

Garland's presence will solve a lot of the woes that have been ailing the Clippers. But first, the former Cavs guard needs to prove that he is fully healthy and ready to contribute. Garland underwent toe surgery in the offseason, forcing him to miss the start of the season. While he has played 26 games for Cleveland since then, he hasn't been anywhere near where he was last season. The Clippers are hoping that the six weeks of rest he had since he last played will help Garland get to his All-Star level.

The 26-year-old has been scrimmaging with the team since last week. Head coach Ty Lue praised Garland's pace and playmaking in practices, and he will look for the same in the games.

The Clippers will likely slowly integrate Garland into the rotation. Even if he gets the start right away, he is unlikely to play over 30 minutes in a game for a while. He will presumably sit on one leg of back-to-backs as well. It may take a while for him to be the second star the fans are hoping to see, but even in a limited role, Garland's offensive skill set should be highly valuable for the Clippers.