Darius Garland had a tough shooting night, but that wasn't the biggest takeaway from his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers lineup.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have felt incomplete through the first two weeks of the season, and a big reason for that has been the absence of Darius Garland.
The Wine and Gold’s star point guard was still rehabbing offseason toe surgery when the season began, but Garland made his debut on Wednesday in Cleveland’s 132-121 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Here are a few observations from Garland’s return to Cleveland’s lineup.
Garland Physically Looked Good
Something the box score won’t show is how Garland moved on the floor and how comfortable he looked in terms of his physicality. One of the key concerns with the toe injury during the playoffs was whether Garland would be able to cut and maneuver. Thankfully, he certainly looked like the DG we’ve all come to know on Wednesday night.
Of course, Garland didn’t look 100 percent and was clearly still shaking off some offseason rust. That said, he was still able to drive to the rim, penetrate Philadelphia’s defense, and either find his shot or kick it out to the open man. DG even drew an offensive foul with his physical defense.
Cleveland has really missed Garland’s driving ability, and having it back was a great thing to bring back in the equation.
Nov 5, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe (77) dribbles beside Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) in the first quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn ImagesDon't Panic After Garland’s Rough Shooting Night
It was clear that Garland was eager to get back on the floor and make an impact on offense. However, he did struggle shooting the ball in his first game of the season.
DG only scored eight points while shooting 27 percent (3-for-11) from the floor and 28 percent (2-for-7) from behind the arc. Don’t overreact to this stat line. It’s important to remember that Garland wasn’t playing at full speed all offseason, training camp, or during the preseason.
The shots will fall; the important piece is that Garland looked healthy.
Cavaliers Missed Garland’s Playmaking
Even though Garland had trouble finding his shot, he did find a way to impact his game through his playmaking. The point guard dished out four assists, and he still had a +/- of positive-five even with a rough shooting night.
One of the first possessions of the game was Garland driving to the basket, kicking it out to Jaylon Tyson, who swung it to Evan Mobley, who found an open Donovan Mitchell, who drove and found an open Garland in the corner for a three.
That’s the type of playmaking and offense Garland has the skill to initiate, and it’s so nice for the Cavaliers to have that back.