There could be reason for the Cleveland Cavaliers to be concerned about one of their top players.
Last season, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland suffered a toe injury, one that plagued throughout the playoffs and resulted in the two-time All-Star undergoing surgery in June.
Garland is expected to miss four-to-five months as a result of the procedure, which puts him on track to likely miss the start of the 2025-26 NBA campaign.
While he is obviously expected to return somewhat early in the season, Danny Cunningham of Locked on Cavs wonders just how Garland will perform once he gets back on the floor, citing Garland's penchant for struggling upon returning from injuries in the past.
"What does interest me is who Darius Garland has been in his career after injuries," Cunningham said. "... The jaw injury, he comes back and he plays the rest of the season, but he never looked like Darius Garland at that point."
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland. Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images.Cunningham was referring to the 2023-24 campaign, when Garland played in just 57 games and underperformed so extravagantly that many felt the Cavaliers could potentially trade him during the offseason. Cleveland ultimately held on to Garland, who went on to average 20.6 points and 6.7 assists per game on 47.2/40.1/87.8 shooting splits last year.
The concern about Garland's prospects for the upcoming season is legitimate, especially given how inconsistent the Vanderbilt product has been in general throughout his career.
The good news is that the Cavs made some notable offseason additions that should compensate for Garland's absence early on, but make no mistake: the Cavaliers will definitely need a healthy Garland if they genuinely want to compete for a championship.
Cleveland won 64 games last season, finishing with the best record in the Eastern Conference. However, the Cavs were ultimately bounced from the second round of the playoffs yet again, falling to the Indiana Pacers in five games.
Donovan Mitchell has never made it to the conference finals at any point of his career, but with the Boston Celtics and Pacers both heading into probable lost seasons, this year will likely represent the best chance he has ever had. But he needs Garland alongside of him.