Cleveland Cavaliers need Darius Garland to put it all together

It’s time for Garland to prove it.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have seen some fantastic things from Darius Garland. But every step forward has seemingly come with a major setback. Next season, Garland needs to put it all together and leave his detractors in the dust.

Garland’s career trajectory has been a roller coaster. He was once considered the worst rookie in his class. A few years later, he was a breakout All-Star who had the Cavs competing for a playoff spot in 2022. His stock fell again after a poor showing in the 2023 playoffs, followed by a nightmarish 2023-24 season.

Anyone who held out faith in Garland after 2024 was rewarded throughout the 2025 regular season. Garland rocketed to another All-Star season and was bordering on an All-NBA nod before faltering a bit in the second half of the year. Nonetheless, Garland’s electric 2024-25 campaign put him back into everyone’s good graces. Then… the playoffs happened.

We all understand that Garland’s postseason run was derailed by a toe injury. There was little chance Garland could replicate his on-ball magic without the mobility and shiftiness his game relies on. No one is destroying Garland for his performances against Indiana. We understand he wasn’t anywhere near full strength.

However, all of the twists and turns have left Garland’s career at a crossroads. He’s now underperformed in every postseason appearance. Injuries can explain two of those failures. Inexperience in his first run can justify the other. But at a certain point — you run out of explanations. Garland’s entering a pivotal year for his reputation.

There’s no way around it. If he gets injured again? Then you can’t reasonably trust Garland to stay healthy anymore. If he is healthy but underwhelms? Then you have bigger problems, such as, who can the Cavs find to play point guard moving forward?

The only way Garland walks away from next season as a winner is if he takes all of the flashes he’s shown in recent years and finally puts them together for a full-on fireworks show in the playoffs. He has to be the dazzling playmaker and shot creator he’s proven to be in the regular season.

This is true for everyone on the roster. The Cavs aren’t a fun story anymore. They’ve surpassed all regular season expectations and currently have a rivalry with the second round. No one is happy with that. Finding a way to translate their success to the postseason is what’s on everyone’s mind.

Garland should be at the front of this. He’s put on dominant displays in the regular season — but is still searching for his first playoff moment. This is the year DG needs to show he’s more than an occasional flash in the pan. It’s time for Garland to break through.