Put simply, the version of Darius Garland that has been presented to the LA Clippers almost ten games into the regular season hasn’t been good whatsoever. It has nothing to do with his scoring or playmaking, two areas he’s always excelled in, but everything to do with the fact that he’s single-handedly costing the Clippers games by committing careless mistakes, such as turnovers or poorly timed shots. As a result, giving up on him is the easy thing to do.
However, the fact of the matter is that it’s too early to lose faith in Garland and want the Clippers to move on. Why? Because not only is he playing the role of primary option for the first time in his career, but LA is also extremely hurt.
At least for now, Garland deserves the benefit of the doubt. That could, of course, change as the season progresses and his circumstances look different.
It’s too early to give up on Darius Garland
Had Darius Garland had his running mate, Brandon Ingram, along his side from day one, or if he had been receiving quality production from Rui Hachimura and were still underperforming, giving up would be the smart thing for the LA Clippers to do.
A player playing like he is, with the salary he’s on, despite having legitimate help next to them, is not worth having around.
Unfortunately, Garland has had no form of consistent support. Hachimura has disappointed, averaging 13.4 points while shooting 36.9% from the field. It’s worth noting he’s had multiple absences thus far, which does the two-time All-Star no favors.
Additionally, Keaton Wagler, who for a second looked like he could step into a bigger role, is now shooting 29.0% from the field and has been in a slump for the last few contests. Mind you, the rookie has the second-highest usage percentage on the team.
It is simply unfair to Garland to write him off with the limitations he has to work with.
The good news is that Ingram appears to be returning to the court soon, as he was briefly assigned to the San Diego Clippers.
When he officially comes back and is settled into the rotation, we can proceed with evaluating Garland’s production on both sides of the ball. There will be no excuses at that point.
Until then, though, we have to give Garland a bit of grace and remember what he's dealing with. Many stars around the league would crumble in his position.
Add us as a preferred source on Google