Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images
An injury-plagued 2023-24 season for Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland impacted more than just his ability to help the team on the court.
Speaking to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, Garland admitted he “sort of lost my joy for basketball” due to a broken jaw that kept him out for 19 games in the middle of the season:
“I can still remember that play. I was trying to make strides, trying to take steps in the right direction and trying to get better and then, boom, I literally get hit in my face and it’s back to d— near square one all over again. That’s what made it so tough last year. The momentum was picking up. Was getting better every day. We were getting better as a team. I felt like I was starting to learn so much and then … another bump in the road, another year of adversity. I sort of lost my joy for basketball.”
The injury occurred when Garland’s face made contact with Kristaps Porziņģis on a drive to the basket during a Dec. 14 game between the Cavs and Boston Celtics. He left the game with blood dripping from his mouth but was able to return, finishing with 19 points in 36 minutes.
Garland was later diagnosed with a fractured jaw that required surgery. He lost 12 pounds afterward because his jaw was wired shut, limiting him to a liquid diet, and he had to regain his strength before playing in games.
Cleveland started slow with a 13-12 record before Garland’s injury, but it racked up 15 wins in 19 games after he went down. The positive momentum continued with his return on Jan. 31, as the Cavs won eight of their first nine games with him back in the lineup.
There was speculation that Garland could look for a trade if Donovan Mitchell remained in Cleveland. Even though Mitchell did sign a three-year, $150.3 million extension in July, the Cavs rebuffed any trade requests for Garland.
A healthy Garland playing alongside Mitchell gives the Cavaliers one of the best backcourt duos in the NBA. They both averaged more than 20 points per game in their first season as teammates in 2022-23, with Garland shooting a career-high 41.0 percent from three-point range.
The combination of a healthy Garland and new head coach Kenny Atkinson has given the Cavs a lot of optimism heading into this season.
If Atkinson is able to maximize the talent of Garland, Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in ways that former head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was unable to, the Cavaliers have the top-end talent to be a Finals contender in the Eastern Conference for the first time since LeBron James left after the 2017-18 season.
