The Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the biggest surprises in the NBA this season and actually look like a playoff team. They’re currently riding a five-game winning streak and sit at 27-18, which is good for fifth in the East. Cavs guard Darius Garland has been a big part of that, leading the squad in scoring and stepping up heavily in place of the injured Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio.
Garland recently sat down with Shams Charania of The Athletic and discussed how special it would be to actually make the postseason without LeBron James.
“Having our own legacy without having anything with ‘Bron to do with it, that would be pretty cool, and then having a playoff run without Bron for that long, that would be pretty amazing. Then just having the city behind our back, they’ve been waiting on this for a long time. Making the playoffs again would mean a ton for the city of Cleveland and the Cavs organization.”
If the Cavs did continue to play at a high level and make the playoffs, which certainly feels like a realistic possibility right now, it would be the first time they do so without LeBron since 1998. With a budding superstar in Garland along with three seven-footers in Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Lauri Markkanen, Cleveland is a force to be reckoned with and cannot be taken lightly.
Exciting times in Believeland. There’s finally a reason to cheer for the Cavs again.