Cavs' Darius Garland shows he 'ain't no punk' in win over Celtics
12/02/2024 11:58 AM
In their quest to repeat as NBA Champions, the Boston Celtics have been clinical in their offensive approach. Boston creates and exploits mismatches, often leading to a high volume of three-pointers. In Boston’s matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Celtics continually targeted Cavs guard Darius Garland on defense as a mismatch. However, instead of shielding Garland from these situations, Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson encourages him to embrace them.
"I just told him in the locker room, 'You know, I don't want to hide him anymore,'" Atkinson said. "It's playoff basketball. He's got to accept a challenge. We did do some different things, you know, tactically to help him out a little bit, but we went back to our regular coverage, and he got two big stops at the end. Didn't foul. He's smart, he's fast, he's strong. I don't see why he can't be a really good defender, and he's showing he can."
The Cavs isolated Garland, allowing Tatum and the Celtics to target him. This strategy paid off, as Tatum led the team with 33 points, eight rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block in 38 minutes. However, he required 27 shots to reach that total, disrupting Boston’s usual offensive flow.
"I think when you watch the game as a fan, you kind of see the guy maybe scoring in the 2-point range. But at the end of the day, they're a 3-point shooting team," Donovan Mitchell explained postgame. "If they're taking tough contested 2s and (Darius) is continuing to body him and make it tough, we live with it. It's the NBA. Guys are going to hit shots."
Darius Garland wouldn’t let the Celtics punk him in the Cavs’ latest win
Though it may seem minor in an 82-game season, Garland facing challenges from Tatum and the Celtics is crucial. The Cavs are now focused on preparing for the playoffs, and having Garland confront these situations in the regular season is vital for their success in high-stakes postseason matchups.
"This goes back to me watching the playoffs last year, and, you know, I think they did different things to hide him," Atkinson said. "My point to Darius [was], 'We're not hiding you. You're good enough. Accept the challenge. You're smart enough.' Because I think when you start doing the tricky stuff, these teams are too good. You gotta be able to switch. And if he's gonna play at the end of games, he's gotta be able to switch."
Garland’s strong performance against the Celtics showcased his abilities and affirmed Atkinson’s faith in his defensive skills since training camp. Although it's just one game, seeing what he can achieve in crucial moments is encouraging.
"I'm going to take that challenge whenever it is," Garland said. "I'm no punk. So if y'all want to switch and to x me out and try to just hunt me out, that's cool. I ain't no punk, though. I'm gonna take a challenge."
Performances like this boost confidence and demonstrate Garland’s strength and toughness to coaches, teammates, and opponents. He acknowledged that being targeted repeatedly is a sign of disrespect and stated that last season’s treatment isn’t the new norm from now on.
"They literally picked on him every single play," Atkinson said of Garland's defense. "That's their style. And this goes back to me watching the playoffs last year. I think they did different things to hide him. I think when you start doing the tricky stuff, these teams are too good. You've got to be able to switch. If he's going to play at the end of games, he's got to be able to switch.
"Tonight, he was phenomenal."
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