The Cleveland Cavaliers won 64 games, finished atop the Eastern Conference and were viewed as a legitimate championship contender last season. Donovan Mitchell was piecing together an MVP season (and ultimately finished fifth), Evan Mobley established himself as one of the best defenders in the league and took home Defensive Player of the Year and the Cavaliers had enough depth to go toe-to-toe with just about any other top team.
They cruised through the first round of the playoffs against the Miami Heat, and then ran into a buzzsaw that was Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers. The Cavaliers were picked apart by Indiana’s fast-paced offense, having no answer for their pace or 3-point shooting. Things got out of hand quickly, and it wasn’t long before the Cavs found themselves on the wrong side of a 4-1 series loss.
It was a disappointing way to end an otherwise excellent season for Cleveland. But lost in all the discourse about the team is the fact that one of their two All-Star guards wasn’t fully healthy throughout most of the playoffs. Darius Garland was hampered with a toe injury that kept him out of the last two playoff games against the Heat, and the first two in the series against the Pacers. And when he did suit up against Indiana, he was clearly hampered.
The Conversation: With amazing opportunity in East, can the Cavaliers and Donovan Mitchell prove themselves?
James Herbert
It resulted in offseason surgery, to which Garland said, “It’s basically like a brand new toe.” He’s expected to miss the start of the season for the Cavaliers as he continues to ramp up his return to the court. Garland thinks if not for the toe injury, Cleveland would…
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