Darius Garland is the Los Angeles Clippers' latest addition after being traded to Los Angeles at the deadline from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for James Harden and Garland is fitting in fast with his new team.

In two games so far with the Clippers Garland has averaged 12 points, five assists and three rebounds in 23 minutes per game off the bench and while he's obviously still finding his footing, he's showing the value that the Clippers were looking for when they acquired him in the first place. 

Garland's role with the Clippers is shaping up to be different than his time with the Cavaliers. While he started all 26 games he played with Cleveland this season, he's so far only come off the bench for Los Angeles.

The Clippers do have a different roster construction that favors having Garland in more of a support role, and that seems to be a role he's enthusiastically embracing as well. 

The player that he, and the rest of the roster, need to support most is Kawhi Leonard. After the Clippers' activity at the deadline, Leonard stands out as the only major star left on the roster, which naturally exposes hm to a lot more attention and targeting from opposing defenses. 

That's where Garland comes in. He's made it clear in his brief time in Los Angeles that his goal is to relieve as much of that pressure that Leonard is facing as possible. 

“Let Kawhi be go Kawhi, bro. Try to get him some open shots in transition. Try to do everything so he won’t get double-teamed or all that stuff that he’s been going through this year," Garland said to the media.  "Just try to give him some open shots, try to free him up on the offensive side a bit.”

Having another dynamic scorer like Garland on the roster will certainly help with that goal. Garland plays hard and fast-paced and can make himself a problem both inside and around the perimeter. 

That level of activity will demand attention from opposing defenses and naturally free up Leonard, especially on the inside of the paint. 

Having more support around Leonard considering the way that the superstar is playing this season is a recipe for success, especially considering the new direction of the Clippers. 

They're clearly trending in a younger direction in an attempt at an active rebuild with young players like Garland, Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders mixed into the fold and having the experience of Leonard to anchor that team can help speed that development along. 

For now, Garland is embracing his new role and he's determined to make life easier for Leonard and the future brighter for Los Angeles.