CLEVELAND, Ohio — It’s the latest edition of Hey, Chris!
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**Hey, Chris:** It seems that the Cavs are just not a great team without Darius Garland. Did the beat writers or the team itself know Garland was this important? And do these early-season games suggest all the talk about a championship hinging on Evan Mobley missed the mark, and that it’s actually hinged on Garland all along? — _James, Nebraska_
**Hey, James:** Darius Garland’s importance to _this_ Cavs team became even more apparent when Ty Jerome wasn’t brought back,
From the start, everyone understood the level to which he can elevate this team offensively. Numbers tell the story — Cleveland is a completely different, dynamic, prolific team when Garland is on the floor. That’s what makes him a two-time All-Star.
But offensive brilliance alone doesn’t guarantee playoff success.
Beyond health, questions remain about his defense.
Sharing the floor with Donovan Mitchell has always been a concern as an undersized backcourt, and the playoffs only magnify that because opponents get time to scout, game plan and target weaknesses.
Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo both said it outright during last year’s first round playoff series against Miami. They attacked Garland repeatedly because he’s vulnerable in transition and in certain defensive matchups.
Historically, he’s been a negative defender, and the numbers from the Indiana series that ultimately thwarted the Cavs’ most recent championship hopes reflect that too. So, the Cavs will need him to prove he can improve on that side of the floor if they hope to go deep in the playoffs.
And that’s why so much of the discussion around the Cavs’ ceiling leans toward Evan Mobley.
He doesn’t carry the same offensive explosiveness as Darius Garland — he’s not a dynamic scorer or playmaker in the way Garland can be — but that’s also the point. Mobley comes with a floor: a baseline of defensive impact that’s reliable every night. Garland, by contrast, has no floor defensively.
The numbers show it. Over the last few years, during the Cavs’ run to legitimate title contention, the team has been better defensively when Garland is off the floor than when he’s on it.
So the question becomes: does Garland’s offensive brilliance outweigh his defensive shortcomings? That’s still a wait and see, in my opinion. He has to prove that he can navigate high-stakes, playoff-level defenses without being a liability. And yet, when he’s on, the offense is undeniably better, more fluid, more dangerous.
It’s the same conversation you’d have about Trae Young and the Hawks — another offensive talent whose defensive limitations are well-documented. With players like Garland or Young, the offense can carry you a long way, but it’s not the same as having a player who can impact both ends of the floor nightly.
That’s where Mobley’s value shines. Defensively, he alters game plans, forces adjustments and still contributes on offense.
In many ways, he’s the player who controls Cleveland’s fate more than anyone else.
If the Cavs are going to contend for a championship, it hinges on Mobley being ready for everything the playoffs demand. Garland is essential to unlocking offensive potential, but it’s Mobley who sets the foundation — and ultimately determines how far this team can go.
**Ethan Sands’ take:**
I’m also not ready to stray from the idea that Evan Mobley is exactly who the Cavs need him to be.
One of the recurring topics we hit on the Wine and Gold Talk podcast is how size dominates the NBA. Short players simply can’t shift a playoff series the way larger players can. That’s the fundamental advantage that Mobley brings.
Every great player needs a Robin to their Batman. Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell are no different.
Look at Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal.
Shaq admitted it was Wade’s team in 2006, even though he averaged nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds over that playoff run that ended in the tandem hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy. Evan Mobley is that kind of anchor for the Cavs, and Garland or Mitchell being on the floor amplifies Mobley’s impact.
We’ve already seen it this season.
Mobley’s not the same player without his guards on the floor with him and it’s because of how defenses can focus on him. He’s seeing different bodies, different looks, defenses swarming him in ways he hadn’t encountered in his first four seasons.
In year five, Kenny Atkinson is trying to help Mobley expand his game to be a weapon as a three-level scorer in the playoffs, and Garland’s presence makes that transition far smoother.
Garland’s impact is transformative.
On offense, he opens the floor with paint touches, speed, intellect and passing vision. His 3-point shooting stretches defenses, shifts the geometry of the game and creates opportunities for everyone on the floor. On defense, pairing Garland with Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Dean Wade or Lonzo Ball provides added support for his vulnerabilities. Garland clearly has his strengths and weaknesses, but his offensive acumen is what the Cavs rely on to elevate Mobley’s baseline to an elite ceiling.
For the Cavs to be great this season and reach the NBA Finals — the bare minimum if they want to avoid major roster changes — Mobley needs to set the standard while Garland enhances it.
Here’s the podcast for this week: