Fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers have always known Darius Garland’s biggest weakness is defense. This was an area he’s struggled in since entering the league, due to his six-foot-one, 191-pound frame, and against the Portland Trail Blazers, the LA Clippers saw it for themselves. Garland was constantly being hunted, and it did not end well for the Clippers, who desperately needed a win.
The Clippers lost by 19, despite making a double-digit comeback, and for the 40 minutes Garland played, Tiago Splitter’s game plan was simple: attack the undersized 26-year-old, no matter the shape or form.
Deni Avidja, in particular, did just that. In fact, he had one of his best performances of the season, posting 35 points and 5 assists on 11-19 shooting.
This occurred partly because Garland could not keep up, and with that said, Cavaliers fans have to be glad Cleveland traded him at the deadline.
Garland’s defensive flaws appeared at a time the Clippers could not afford
When finalizing the deal for Darius Garland, the LA Clippers knew what they were getting themselves into. As good a scorer and playmaker as Garland is, defense has always been a question mark, and Lawrence Frank still opted to proceed.
Well, in what was a battle for the eighth seed, unless the Portland Trail Blazers lose to the Sacramento Kings and the Clippers defeat the Golden State Warriors, Frank saw up close one of the very reasons the Cleveland Cavaliers were interested in a trade at the deadline.
It’s not even that Garland wasn’t showing enough effort; that’s not the case at all. He was out on the court, trying his best to hold his ground, keep his hands where they needed to be, and slide his feet accordingly.
He did come up with three steals and four deflections, so that says something.
However, Garland just isn’t strong enough, and he doesn't have a wingspan that makes his life easier.
Hence, he’s commonly picked on, and there’s not much that can necessarily be done at the moment.
The losing effort looks even worse for Garland when you consider the fact that offensively, he didn’t do much better. He recorded 15 points and seven assists, but shot 5-16 from the field, 2-8 from beyond the arc, and turned the ball over three times.
So, for the Play-In Tournament, will Tyronn Lue make an adjustment? Or will he trust the two-time All-Star with a heavy workload once more, with the possibility that a similar outcome as the one against the Trail Blazers could transpire?