Donovan Mitchell is not the only Cavaliers player who faces his responsibilities before the pivotal Game 5 against Orlando this Tuesday evening. If the All-Star guard remains disappointing since his performance in Game 1, another Cavalier has also been very average since the start of the series: Darius Garland. The playmaker averages only 12 points at 42% shooting success.
He is not sharp enough, even sometimes absent, with eleven shots taken per match. His teammates even “celebrated” a simple outside shot at the end of Game 1… “They want me to shoot more because they think I’m not aggressive enough”, does he also deliver.
Taking over from Donovan Mitchell
He, who is the Cavaliers' second offensive option, cannot afford to disappear, especially with such an average Donovan Mitchell in Florida. “On video, I am shown almost daily that I refuse shots. Yes, I have to take them”reacts Darius Garland.
How to explain this level of performance? Which is also not far from that of the regular season because the 2022 All-Star ultimately did not have a great season with 18 points per game at 37% success at 3-pts. He was notably weighed down by a broken jaw and only played 57 matches. Without forgetting the presence of Max Strus, who needs to shoot to exist, and which reduces his impact.
“I try to involve everyone. In the first game, Donovan was in there very early, he gave us a good start,” he recalls. “When he gets tired, I try to step up the aggression a notch. When he's not in the game, we need points so I want to be aggressive when he's not on the pitch. »
Too discreet and passive
For the moment, this is clearly not the case. With two All-Stars below their best level, the Cavaliers are struggling to score points: 91.5 points per game in this first round. Without a revival of this duo, will JB Bickerstaff's players be able to dominate Orlando?
“I think he continues, like everyone else, to seek perfection. This is what he is accused of during the video sessions. I don’t think he does or doesn’t do anything that penalizes us,” However, the coach tempered himself before Game 3. “He does a good job as a playmaker. Loose balls happen a lot, and that's an area he's looking to improve on. »
The problem of lost balls had been resolved on the Magic floor. Not the sharp side. Darius Garland therefore limited his errors, but not increased his contributions. “I wasn't aggressive like I was in the past. I can do it, I don't think it's a problem.”, he assures. Game 5 is the perfect time to prove it.
| Darius Garland | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2019-20 | KEY | 59 | 31 | 40.1 | 35.5 | 87.5 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 2.6 | 0.1 | 12.3 |
| 2020-21 | KEY | 54 | 33 | 45.1 | 39.5 | 84.8 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 6.1 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 0.1 | 17.4 |
| 2021-22 | KEY | 68 | 36 | 46.2 | 38.3 | 89.2 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 8.6 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 3.7 | 0.1 | 21.7 |
| 2022-23 | KEY | 69 | 36 | 46.2 | 41.0 | 86.3 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 7.8 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 0.1 | 21.6 |
| 2023-24 | KEY | 57 | 33 | 44.6 | 37.1 | 83.4 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 2.7 | 6.5 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 0.1 | 18.0 |
| Total | 307 | 34 | 44.8 | 38.4 | 86.4 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 6.7 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 3.1 | 0.1 | 18.4 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
