NBA analyst gives Darius Garland stamp of approval on controversial debut

Darius Garland’s debut for the LA Clippers had two sides to it: a positive, given the three-pointers he drained and the shifty handle he demonstrated, or a negative, considering the five turnovers he posted, mostly stemming from carelessness. Well, Mo Dakhil, an NBA analyst, chose to be optimistic and approved of what he saw on the ‘Zach Lowe Show’, praising Garland’s fluidity, comfort, and connection with Kawhi Leonard.

Overall, the two-time All-Star had 12 points and two assists in 23 minutes, but more importantly, with Leonard, he looked a lot better. Their advanced metrics, according to the NBA’s two-man lineup statistics, of a 24.2 net rating, back it up, and ultimately suggest they are gonna be a phenomenal duo.

It’s safe to say Dakhil knows what he’s talking about, as he evaluated Garland’s first day correctly. He made a ton of great points, and each should excite Clippers fans.

Darius Garland’s debut for the Clippers was more encouraging than anything

Mo Dakhil let out everything Darius Garland did right, which was playmaking, creating space, and offensive aggression, hinting that the good outweighs the bad. This is exactly how LA Clippers fans should look at it, especially considering he had been sidelined since Jan. 14th.

Additionally, Garland’s confidence was sky high. He kept at it, despite several moments of struggle. This is yet another great sign, as players who miss easy shots or commit reckless mistakes tend to enter a mental slump.

However, the best part about Garland’s debut was the possession in which he scored his first bucket. He came off a screen from Brook Lopez, saw more than enough room Gui Santos left for him(which is barely any space for the average player), and fired away from relatively deep.

Now, imagine this, on a much larger scale; that is who Garland is, and it does not seem like it’ll take long for him to get there.

This is what head coach Tyronn Lue and all his teammates are focused on, as made clear in the post-game press conference. Just take a look at how well Garland’s backcourt defensive complement, Kris Dunn, spoke of him on both sides of the ball.

That said, on top of Dakhil being impressed by Garland, so should Clipper Nation. It’s pointless to be pessimistic, and with patience, everyone will agree that he was worth a 36-year-old James Harden at the trade deadline.