Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson doesn't expect All-Star guard Darius Garland to be ready for training camp as he continues to recover from toe surgery.
Cleveland Cavaliers are heading into the offseason with questions surrounding the health of their All-Star point guard Darius Garland.
Darius Garland
Darius Garland
Position: PG
Age: 25
Height: 191 cm
Weight: 79 kg
Birth place: Indianapolis, United States of America
After battling a nagging toe injury that affected him throughout the tail end of last season and the playoffs, Garland's availability for training camp remains unclear.
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com recently spoke with new Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson about the situation and shared some insight into the organization’s approach to Garland’s recovery.
"I also talked to Kenny Atkinson. That story is going to come out on Cleveland.com this week. And I asked him, I said, 'You know, as a coach, you lost Ty Jerome and Darius Garland is obviously recovering from toe surgery. Are you anticipating Darius being ready for training?'" He said during the Wine and Gold Talk podcast.
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"And he said, 'No, I don't decide these things. It's going to be up to Darius and the training staff led by Steve Spiro.' But he said, 'I don't expect him to, and I want him to take his time with this, and we're not going to push it. We're not going to rush it.'"
Garland’s injury woes began late in the regular season, forcing him to miss multiple games. Despite returning in time for the playoffs, he was once again sidelined during the postseason, appearing in only five games. The Cavaliers eventually fell to the Indiana Pacers in the second round.
Despite the injury setbacks, Garland put up strong numbers during the regular season. The 24-year-old guard averaged 20.6 points, 6.7 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game while shooting efficiently from the floor.
His consistent play earned him his second All-Star selection and played a key role in guiding the Cavs to a league-best 64–18 record in the Eastern Conference.
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