Cleveland Cavaliers star guard Darius Garland is expected to make his season debut on Wednesday night.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are off to a rocky 4-3 start, given the championship expectations coming into the season. However, the Cavs are getting a major boost as All-Star point guard Darius Garland is likely to make his season debut on Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Garland underwent offseason surgery on his big toe, which has kept him sidelined for the start of the season.
The 25-year-old guard is coming off a great 2024-25 season where he averaged 20.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Garland shot 47.2 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from three.
His offense will be a boost for Cleveland and ease some pressure off of Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley.
With Garland back in the fold, the Cavs will have their big four, with Mitchell, Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. This core led Cleveland to a 64-18 record and the number one seed in the Eastern Conference.
However, the Cavs fell to the Indiana Pacers in five games in the second round. While it was a disappointing end to their season, Cleveland should have a lot of confidence to make a run this season. With all the significant injuries in the East, including those to Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, they have a great shot at making it to the NBA Finals.
The Cavs added more depth to their roster this offseason, including a trade for guard Lonzo Ball. Ball has played a major role with Garland out, and has been impactful as a defender, passer, and rebounder.
Ball is averaging 5.8 points per game along with 4.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and a steal. The 28-year-old has been inefficient, shooting just 31.6 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from behind the arc.
With Garland back, Ball's efficiency could jump in a smaller role. The Cavs will have a deep rotation when fully healthy, but are still without Max Strus for a few months.
Cleveland started out slow, but with their All-Star point guard back healthy, they should start stringing together more wins and move up the standings in the wide-open East.