Darius Garland is reportedly close to making his season debut for the Cleveland Cavaliers. When could the veteran point guard return, and how will that affect Kenny Atkinson’s rotation?
“[Garland] had some really good scrimmage time with the G League team [Canton Charge],” Atkinson said, via Cleveland.com’s Ethan Sands, before the Cavaliers’ first Emirates Cup game last night. “Today he went through the full shootaround, so we’re getting close here. Really close. … I think there’s been no setbacks, not even any soreness or anything.
“We made sure they got up and down,” Atkinson continued. “It wasn’t just drills. They did some drills, but he hooped. We kept our two-way back so they could get into scrimmage with him, [and] make it really as game-like as we possibly can. In that scenario, he’s obviously the No. 1 priority in terms of getting him back on the court.”
Nearing Return, How Does Darius Garland Affect Kenny Atkinson’s Rotation
Cleveland has not had a full squad thus far. However, it is still somewhat surprising that the Cavaliers sit with a 3-3 record as they are one of the deeper teams in the league. The Cavaliers suffered their second straight defeat last night, falling to the Toronto Raptors 112-101 in the opening night of the NBA In-Season Tournament.
Injuries have hampered Cleveland, and they were without three of their projected starters against Toronto last night. As a result, the Raptors outmatched the Cavaliers, who struggled on both ends of the floor, and their bench was outscored 48-15. Overall, the Cavs were outscored by 15 combined points in the first and fourth quarters. In addition to Garland — who is recovering from toe surgery– Sam Merrill, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Max Strus.
Cavaliers Struggles
Cleveland has already lost 19 player games to injury. Garland and Strus account for over 60% of the Cavaliers’ player absences as neither player has appeared in a game. Merrill is the only other player to miss multiple games.
Being without one of their top scorers and two playmakers in Garland and Strus, it is not surprising the Cavaliers have struggled offensively. The Cavaliers rank in the bottom third of the league in offensive rating, as they have struggled with shooting the ball. They also rank in the bottom half of the Association in assists and turnovers.
Cleveland has been pretty good on the defensive end. The Cavaliers rank 11th in defensive efficiency, having defended well, but they have only been average on the offensive boards and struggled guarding the three-point line. The Cavs do a good job of protecting the rim and creating turnovers.
Mitchell is off to a fantastic start and leads the way for the Cavs. Mitchell has been highly efficient, averaging 28 points on 54.4% shooting from the field. He also knocks down 3.2 threes at a career-best 40% clip.
Evan Mobley is also off to a great start to the season, averaging a career-high 20.2 points and knocking down 1.8 triples a game. He is also stepping up defensively, compiling 1.8 steals and 1.8 blocks per contest. Merrill is off to a career start, seeing his most extensive action and shooting at a 52.5% clip, including making 4.5 three-pointers a game on 51.4% shooting. Meanwhile, Hunter, who missed the first two games of the season, has been productive despite struggling with shooting.
When Will Darius Garland Make His Season Debut?
Cleveland hosts Atlanta on Sunday and has five players listed on the NBA injury report. Garland and Strus remain out.
Darius Garland: Recovering from toe surgery and yet to play this season. He is expected to remain out for at least a few more days, with an estimated return being early this month. After Sunday, the Cavs are off until November 5 when they host Philadelphia.
Max Strus: There is still no official timetable for Strus to return to the court, but he said he would be out three to four months following undergoing Jones Fracture surgery in late August. Three months would mean that he could be cleared by the end of this month, although he likely wouldn’t see action until the middle of December at the earliest, due to needing time to ramp up.
Jarrett Allen: Missed the game against Toronto due to a fracture in his left hand. He is considered questionable for tomorrow’s game against the Hawks.
Sam Merrill: Has sat out the last two contests due to a hip contusion and is considered questionable for tomorrow.
Donovan Mitchell: Dealing with left hamstring tightness. He is questionable for the game against the Hawks.
Atkinson has used 13 of the 16 players on the Cavaliers roster. He has also used four different starting lineups. Each of the 13 players has appeared in at least three games.
How Will Atkinson Manage Rotation Going Forward?
If Mitchell, Allen, and Merrill aren’t able to play against the Hawks, it is likely Atkinson will use the same starting five as he did against Toronto. That’s Lonzo Ball, Hunter, Evan Mobley, Jalen Tyson, and Dean Wade.
If at least one of the three players listed as questionable can play, then Wade would head back to the bench. If two players can return, Tyson would also head back to the bench. Now, if all three players can play, then the first unit would be Allen, Mitchell, Merrill, Hunter, and Mobley — the Cavs are 2-0 when those five start together.
The bigger question is how Atkinson will manage his rotation when Garland returns. Assuming everyone else is healthy, Garland would join Allen, Mitchell, Hunter, and Mobley on the first unit. Merrill would then become the Cavs’ sixth man, meaning Ball and, more so, Craig Porter Jr., would see their minutes take a hit.
Wade and Ball would join Merrill among the first Cavaliers off the pine. Tyson and Larry Nance Jr. figure to round out the second unit. Therefore, Porter Jr. would be reduced to an occasional player while rookie Tyrece Proctor, averaging 12 minutes a game, would become an emergency fill-in.
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