Darius Garland says he and Collin Sexton hear criticism about them, claims it’s ‘fuel for us’

By David Akerman
Updated: October 18, 2021

The Cleveland Cavaliers backcourt of Darius Garland and Collin Sexton is a very promising one. However, many don’t believe that the pairing will work out well because of their size and similarity in play.

Garland recently revealed that he and Sexton have heard the criticism from people. He stated that it is “fuel” for the two of them.

“It’s fuel for us,” Garland said. “We’ve seen Fred VanVleet and Kyle Lowry do it, so why can’t we? I think we’re a little better than they were at our ages.”

The 21-year-old is set to start his third season in the league. Last season, he averaged 17.4 points and 6.1 assists per game while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from beyond the arc. It was a considerable improvement from his rookie campaign, and Garland proved that he has the ability to be a solid point guard in the NBA.

Garland and Sexton will have increased expectations this season as they look to take the next step in their developments. However, it was recently reported that the Cavs “aren’t sure” if Garland and Sexton are the starting backcourt of the future.

This season, Cleveland is hoping to make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2018.