On an episode of ‘Ball in the Family Podcast with Lonzo and Gelo Ball, ’ Darius Garland, a star guard for the LA Clippers, was brought on. This is no surprise, as Lonzo and Garland have deep ties: they were teammates on the Cleveland Cavaliers and share the same agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports.
However, when Garland was asked about his transition to the Clippers, that’s when shock arose. The two-time All-Star, without any sign of hesitation, threw a clear jab at the system the Cavaliers have, which is run by Kenny Atkinson, implying that he was held back in a variety of ways and wasn’t allowed to be himself on the court. He added, towards the end of his response, that his joy has returned.
Of course, Clipper Nation is thrilled to hear these words from Garland. Cleveland, on the other hand, likely doesn’t feel the same, and that’s understandable.
Darius Garland is absolutely right for the way he feels
The feeling Darius Garland may have wanted on the Cleveland Cavaliers is not to be considered a second option, but rather to be in more of a 1A-1B situation. This is fair, as Garland had proven himself in the NBA with two All-Star appearances and a handful of other franchise milestones. Alongside Donovan Mitchell, though, that never seemed to be the case.
Mitchell was always the primary center of attention. He had the ball in his hands more, was the focal point of the team for Kenny Atkinson, and was essentially the one the Cavaliers almost always gave priority to.
This explains why the LA Clippers trading for him at the deadline was a piece of cake. In fact, they were paid with a second-round pick on top to take him.
With the Clippers, to Garland's point, he was seen as the 1B to Kawhi Leonard(1A) right away. Tyronn Lue didn’t mind at all running plays, sometimes even the entire offense, through him, letting him facilitate the floor and use his voice for the betterment of the team.
In the end, Lue treating Garland the way he wanted the Cavaliers to be treated paid off.
While the Clippers didn’t make the playoffs, Garland showed the franchise he is worthy of holding the keys to the next era.
That says a lot, and it further supports the theory that Garland could have been the dream star for the Cavaliers had they given him more freedom and let him do his thing.
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