The Cleveland Cavaliers were considered a legitimate title contender, but they once again failed to live up to expectations. The No. 1 seed Cavs were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in just five games last week.
While Kenny Atkinson’s squad was dealing with some injuries throughout the series, the reality is that they didn’t play well enough. Darius Garland, who only played in three games against the Pacers, struggled, scoring just 11 points in the elimination Game 5. He also had only 10 points in Game 3.
Following their exit, president Koby Altman sent Garland a challenge heading into the offseason.
Via Sam Amico:
“We can dispel that Darius & Donovan can’t play together. I do think there’s a level Darius can get to that he hasn’t tapped into. His next step is going to be to get stronger. There’s a level he has to get to from a body standpoint, and that’s on all of us.”
In other words, the Cavs do not believe Garland is strong enough physically. However, his statistics in the playoffs have also been an issue. The guard shot just 34% from the field and 17% from beyond the arc against Indiana. He’s struggled to step up his game on the big stage.
On the other hand, Garland is coming off a career year in 2024-25, averaging 20.6 points, 6.7 assists, and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 40% from long range. The Cavs aren’t about to give up on him yet. That being said, there are things he needs to improve on, and becoming more of a physical force is clearly important.
While Garland wasn’t trying to make excuses for his poor play, the Vanderbilt product made it clear he was fighting through serious toe pain in the Pacers matchup:
“I was playing with a steel plate (in my shoe),” Garland said Wednesday at the end-of-the-season media availability. “I was trying to win games and win this series. I definitely wasn’t myself. It was uncomfortable.
“I was there for the guys. I wasn’t 100 percent. That’s what made it tough. Even if we were not all 100 percent, we were all out there. I’m happy I went to battle with my guys.”
We’ll see if Garland takes Altman’s challenge to heart and makes it his mission to become stronger in the coming months.
