$18 Million Forward Pinpoints Darius Garland as Cavaliers Weakest Link

Darius Garland missed the final two games of the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ first-round playoff win over the Miami Heat.

During a recent media availability, Miami forward Kyle Anderson, who has two years left on his $18 million deal with Miami, credited Garland’s absence for why Cleveland was able to secure a four-game sweep over Erik Spoelstra’s team.

“If you want my honest answer,” Anderson said. “And I don’t mean to throw shots at anybody…They looked like a better team without Garland on the floor. I don’t know the numbers or anything. I think it played more to their favor once Garland wasn’t on the floor. They were able to dictate the tempo. Get more stops on defense, and it was harder for us to score. They had more guys out there on defense. Once we came across that, it got tougher for us.”

Garland has long been a target for opposing offenses. He’s seen as the weak link in the Cavaliers’ defensive system. Without him in the rotation, Miami had no one they could try to attack via mismatches or off the dribble. Of course, Garland’s comments about Tyler Herro being a target for Cleveland also didn’t go down well due to his own shortcomings on that side of the floor.

What Did Darius Garland Say?

When speaking to the media following the Cavaliers’ game two win over Miami on Wednesday, April 23, Garland took a shot at Herro.

“Pick on Tyler Herro,” Garland said when asked about Cleveland’s offensive strategy. “Take care of the ball. Don’t play in tight spaces. And pick on their weak defenders.”

Garland never returned to Cleveland’s rotation after those comments. Instead, he watched the final two games from the sidelines while wearing street clothes. However, Cavaliers fans will likely be hoping that he’s back in the rotation for the team’s Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Indiana Pacers.

Garland’s Defense a Concern for Cavaliers

During a recent episode of the ‘Wine and Gold Talk‘ podcast, longtime Cavaliers reporter Chris Fedor shared his concerns regarding Garland’s limited impact on defense.

“I think there remains to be questions about Darius Garland and his readiness for everything that playoff basketball is,” Fedor said. “…If we’re being honest, Darius has struggled throughout the course of his career. And at times this year, even this year was an All-Star caliber season for him, but there were times that he struggled with physicality…The Cavs are ready for it. Kenny Atkinson is ready for it. Darius says he’s ready for it. But this is a switch-heavy defense, and teams are going to go pick and roll, and they’re going to put Darius in the action over and over and over again.”

Garland must now prove himself against Indiana. Rick Carlisle’s team will undoubtedly test his defensive ability while also throwing physical defenders his way when he’s got the ball in his hands.

After his comments about Herro, all eyes will be on Garland’s defensive impact moving forward. However, it’s clear that Anderson’s comments came from a place of genuine belief. Therefore, Garland has a lot to prove throughout the rest of the playoffs, especially if he wants to avoid his name being floated in trade speculation this summer.