The Cleveland Cavaliers have an injury to deal with just two quarters into their 2022-23 NBA season. Darius Garland has been ruled out of Wednesday night’s road game against the Toronto Raptors after his eye got inadvertently poked by Gary Trent Jr., who has just become public enemy No. 1 of Cleveland based on how some Cavs fans have been reacting to Garland’s injury on Twitter.
Darius Garland had to be helped to the locker room which was not a good sign, at least for his short-term availability. The severity of his eye injury is not yet known at the moment, but expect the Cavs to have a clearer picture of the status of Darius Garland Thursday, presumably after some tests.
Darius Garland was arguably the best player last season for the Cavs, who overachieved in the 2021-22 campaign. Garland finished second on the team that season in terms of win shares (6.3) and led Cleveland in points (21.7) and assists (8.6).
Before exiting the Toronto game, Darius Garland scored four points on 2-of-8 shooting from the floor to go with three assists and a couple of steals in 13 minutes of action.
If Garland would need to miss time to recover from the injury, Donovan Mitchell should see an even larger role on offense, while guys like Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro, and even Raul Neto could see expanded minutes.
The Cavs will have two full days of rest following the game gains the Raptors before playing the Chicago Bulls on the road on Saturday, so that should give Darius Garland ample time to recover.
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