NBA Notes: Cavs, Darius Garland, Spurs, De’Aaron Fox, Heat

Cavaliers

As I relayed in Dribbles, Wednesday looked like the Cavaliers again. Darius Garland finally returned after toe surgery and Cleveland put 132 on the board in a win over the Sixers.

And as Joe Reedy of The AP noted, the Cavs entered the night fifth-worst in offensive rating after leading the NBA last season. The group just hadn’t looked like itself.

That all changed and Garland felt it immediately.

“Seeing the ball go through the hoop, passing the ball to 45 (Donovan Mitchell), Ev (Evan Mobley) and JA (Jarrett Allen) for sure,” Garland said. “It was great to be back with the teammates. Being around them makes me happy.”

Donovan Mitchell said the chemistry matters. And he should know. He just happened to drop 46 and make a little history along the way.

“You have a guy that can initiate, get the easy shots and make everyone’s job easier,” Mitchell said. “When you have a guy who’s an All-Star, you have to pay attention to where he’s at. When you know you have a guy out there that can create, it puts everyone at ease.”

Coach Kenny Atkinson admitted the offense had been “clunky” because guys were in roles they normally don’t have to play. A healthy Garland changes that picture.

Spurs

ESPN’s Shams Charania said on NBA Today that Spurs point guard De’Aaron Fox is expected to make his season debut Saturday vs. the Pelicans.

San Antonio views Fox and Victor Wembanyama as the foundational pairing. They barely got five games together last season before Wembanyama was shut down.

Fox received a four-year max this summer. Dylan Harper is out for multiple weeks with a calf strain.

Heat

Second-year wing Pelle Larsson has climbed into Erik Spoelstra’s starting lineup and stayed there. His shooting has been efficient and Spoelstra likes the connective tissue he brings.

“He’s owned these minutes,” Spoelstra said, via Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “He makes you play him because he does so many of the intangible things. He really elevates the units that he plays in.”