Cavs' Kenny Atkinson gives update on Darius Garland's injury

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For the fans who thought Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland was ducking smoke, nothing could be further from the truth. Garland, who struggled against the Boston Celtics, was ruled out against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Cavs’ second game in a back-to-back, with a groin injury. However, in an injury update from Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson, Garland’s absence is precautionary.

"He took a bad fall last night,” said Atkinson. “[Keeping him out tonight was a] collaborative decision. We all got together, including Darius. So yeah, he'll sit this one out."

The Cavs have had a grueling start to the NBA season, playing their first 17 games in less than 30 days. The subsequent 17 days on Cleveland’s schedule will take 43 days to complete. The Cavs have, at times, looked gassed during their 15-1 start to the season, and it has taken a toll on everyone physically. Alongside Garland, Cleveland is without seven players against New Orleans. So, whenever Atkinson and his staff can find these opportunities to rest their key contributors, they must take advantage.

"He's run the tenth most miles in the league," Atkinson said about Garland. "We've run him hard to spectacular results."

Atkinson isn’t kidding when he says Garland has been spectacular to start the season. In 16 appearances, Garland has averaged 20.6 points on 49.2% shooting, the most efficient in his career, along with 7.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 30.3 minutes per game. Atkinson and the Cavs have continually leaned on Garland, and the superstar guard has delivered. So, to give Garland a well-deserved breather heading into Cleveland’s three-day break makes complete sense.

"We're all tired because we're all doing this job," Atkinson said. "I just don't know how they do it—seventeen games in 29 days. The league is playing faster. … So it's just amazing. It just speaks to the athletes that we have."

While Atkinson had no further updates on Garland’s injury, hopefully the star guard is available when the team takes on the Toronto Raptors next.

Darius Garland has been spectacular for the Cavs to start the season

If it weren’t for Garland, the Cavs wouldn’t be the first seed in the Eastern Conference with a 15-1 record in their first 16 games. Although he’s already been named an All-Star once in his career, this hot streak to start the season is part of a sudden resurgence for Garland.

Last season, Garland’s primary issue was a fractured jaw, which kept him out for more than six weeks. The injury allowed Garland only being able to eat meals through a straw, causing him to lose 12 pounds. The mid-season injury and sudden weight loss led to Garland having his worst season by scoring efficiently since his rookie year in 2019-20. He shot 44.6 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three-point range in 57 starts.

Moreover, since the Cavs went 15-4 in the 19 games Garland missed due to the jaw injury and the team struggled again in the playoffs, there were questions about whether or not they would look to trade him.

However, whatever offers Cleveland got, the Cavs rebuffed them. They believed in Garland and that he could tap into his ability as an All-Star caliber guard again. In his explosion against New York, Garland more than reaffirmed Cleveland’s beliefs in him.

Garland more than reaffirmed those beliefs, stepping up when they needed him most. Every stellar game Garland put last season even further in the rearview, making it seem more like a fluke from lousy injury luck. But what matters more is making sure Garland can contribute during the playoffs. Opportunities to rest him are few and far between, so when chances like they do against the Pelicans come along, the Cavs have to take advantage of it.

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