Nine games in, it’s pretty safe to say Darius Garland is underperforming. He only produces on the offensive end of the floor, and even then, it hasn’t been as good as it should be. For context, the 26-year-old is averaging 21.2 points, 7.0 assists, and 5.1 turnovers (first in the league), shooting 47.1% from the field and 37.1% from beyond the arc. He’s also one of the main reasons the LA Clippers are 2-7 and 13th in the Western Conference.
Still, the Clippers don’t regret their trade with the Cavaliers, in which they shipped James Harden to Cleveland for Garland and a second-round pick. Why is that? Because the two-time All-Star's struggles are nowhere near as bad as Harden’s, as he’s currently having the worst season of his legendary career.
Through 10 games, Harden is averaging 15.7 points (lowest since 2010-11), 5.8 assists (lowest since 2012-13), and 5.0 rebounds, while shooting 36.6% from the field. It’s gotten to a point where Kenny Atkinson may have to make a decision that’s best for the Cavaliers and bench the former MVP. That’s how bad he’s been.
Darius Garland might not be playing well, but at least he’s doing better than James Harden
Although Darius Garland is turning the ball over at a ridiculous rate, making mistakes that are costing the LA Clippers games, and not really being a factor on defense, per usual, he's done a solid job scoring and making plays for others. There’s also a chance he improves once Brandon Ingram returns, since he will no longer have the first-option role.
James Harden, on the other hand, is performing at another level of bad.
Harden hasn’t been efficient, isn’t scoring at a high level, isn't delivering as a playmaker, and is ultimately making it hard for the Cleveland Cavaliers to win games. As a result, the Cavaliers are 5-5 and sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference.
To add insult to injury, according to Databallr, an advanced metric tool, the Cavaliers have an 111.2 offensive rating when Harden is on the floor and 127.7 when he’s off. That’s a huge drop-off in the wrong direction for a player known as an offensive juggernaut.
That said, Garland hasn't given the Clippers much to be happy about, but it’s a lot better than what Harden has done with the Cavaliers. Thus, the trade still looks like a win for LA.
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