Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland is in the midst of the best season of his career, but one scout isn’t sold on him as a franchise cornerstone.
Garland made his first All-Star team in the 2021-22 season, but in a survey ranking young point guards, one scout told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps that he doesn’t think Garland is a player people can build a franchise around.
“He’s been a pleasant surprise,” the scout said, “but I don’t think he’s really a guy that, like these other guys, you can build your franchise around.”
Garland is in just his third year in the NBA, but it appears that some people around the league aren’t that high on the 22-year-old despite the Cavs’ turnaround this season.
This season, Garland is averaging 20.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game while shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from beyond the arc.
The Cavs have been one of the biggest surprises in the NBA this season, as they currently have the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Even though Garland may not carry his team as much as Ja Morant or Luka Doncic, he has been key to the team’s success. Cleveland is just 7-7 in the 14 games that Garland has missed this season, and the former first-round pick has stepped up in a big way with Collin Sexton out for the season.
It may be too early to say that Garland can’t be a franchise changer, as he’s steadily gotten better since his rookie season. Garland and the Cavs are looking to prove that they are for real with a deep playoff run this season.
