Kyle Kuzma’s emphatic 1-word description of Darius Garland

Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma recently showed some love to Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland on Twitter.

Kuzma took questions from fans on Twitter, and one fan asked about his thoughts on Garland, who is in the middle of a breakout season for the Cavs.

Garland has clearly gained the respect of some of his peers during the 2021-22 campaign, where he has helped lead the Cavaliers to a 21-17 record.

The third-year guard returned to the lineup for Cleveland on Tuesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies after missing time in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.

Garland picked up right where he left off before landing in the protocols, as the former No. 5 overall pick from the 2019 NBA Draft put up 27 points on 9-of-26 shooting from the field. He also added four rebounds and 10 assists in the game.

The Cavaliers have been one of the NBA’s more surprising teams this season after struggling in the 2020-21 campaign.

This season, Cleveland has benefitted from Garland’s rise as well as the addition of rookie Evan Mobley.

On the season, Garland is averaging 19.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 38.0 percent from beyond the arc.

Garland’s points, rebounds and assists per game this season are all better than his previous career-highs, and he is looking to build on that going forward.

Kuzma and the Wizards are going to fight with Garland’s Cavs for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but it’s clear there is respect between the opponents.