Darius Garland has a big season ahead of him as the likely anchor of the Los Angeles Clippers as the team rebuilds and he gears up for his first full season with the team, but Garland is also coming into the season with something to prove. 

In six-and-a-half seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Garland had quickly built himself up from a role player to a key starter and in the process of his career's rapid rise, Garland earned himself two All-Star selections, most recently during the 2024-25 season, 

But last season came with difficulties for Garland. He dealt with a series of toe injuries that left his mobility limited and trickled down into his overall play, dropping his production across the board and forcing him to miss close to half of last season, including the first few weeks that he was with the Clippers after being traded at the deadline. 

The NBA world can be a fickle thing and even though he lost just half of one season to injuries, it's easy to feel like the common consensus of the sport can move on from you. 

In a recent interview with HoopsHype, Garland spoke on his feelings of being forgotten by the league as well as his confidence that he'll be able to get back into the swing of things with a full season ahead of him. 

"It usually happens like that, especially when you have a couple injuries," Garland said (via HoopsHype). "They tend to forget about you, but that's what another 82-game season is for: to go ahead and revamp yourself, show everybody what you're capable of and to show the confidence and the work I've put in this summer."

Garland has spoken often in the last few weeks of how excited he is to have a full season with the Clippers ahead of him and how good he's felt after a summer free of injuries and full of productive workouts and preparation.

He's still just 26-years-old and without the toe issues that were plaguing him, there's no reason that Garland won't be able to get back to his old All-Star caliber ways and show the league that there's no way he'll allow himself to be forgotten. 

Even in the brief time that he played with the Clippers last season Garland was impressive. Still coming off of those toe injuries, he averaged 19.9 points, 6.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 19 games, all numbers that were brushing up against his averages from the 2024-25 season. 

This upcoming season will be both the revenge tour and the comeback tour for Garland as he leads the Clippers through the first year of a brand new era and for himself, remind the basketball world of exactly who he is and why he deserves his respect and his praise.