Cleveland Cavaliers Star Darius Garland Reflects On Returning To Action, Helps Fuel Win Over Pacers

Cleveland Cavaliers Star Darius Garland Reflects On Returning To Action, Helps Fuel Win Over Pacers

Darius, how did it feel to be back out there tonight? Feels great, man. Being with the guys, uh, doing something I love. Uh, getting a big win. It’s all I can ask for. Coming out alive, coming out healthy. What was the process like for you since you had the injury in Miami to getting back on the floor tonight? Um, a lot of recovery, a lot of treatment. Um try and get the toe moving. Um try and get the flexibility back of it and um a lot of time on the court. Chris, hey Darius, looked like you were limping a little bit toward the end of the game. What happened there? And are you okay? I’m okay. Uh little finger. It’s cool. And then obviously you guys are different and Indiana is different, but this was the first time that you saw them since what happened in the playoffs. when you play against them, what feelings does that evoke? Um, I mean, we had that competitive spirit against anybody. Um, of course, it’s a little bit of extra juice since they put us out last year, but, um, I mean, we come with the same fight, same intensity, um, same competitive spirit, just another game for us until that time actually comes. So, um, it was a good win for us. Um, good step in the right direction. In what ways do you feel like you can help Evan kind of get to his strengths the way that you know that he’s capable of? Um man, give him the ball in the pocket. Um so he can be effective. Uh we all know he’s a really good passer. So when he gets in the pocket and have all that space, he can just do whatever he wants with it. Um give him a couple lobs, couple easy ones just to get himself going. And um I mean he did that tonight. I mean he’s been doing it all season. Um, but tonight it feel like we were starting to get back to ourselves and he was starting to get real comfortable and get into the spots that he really wants to get instead of him just forcing his way there. And the guys are really complimentary. You guys have like five, six different swing swing kind of actions going on when you got the ball to the corner and it just kind of flew around like did it feel like kind of like last year and and what you guys know that you are as an offense? Yeah, it’s it’s getting there. Um, it takes time though. We still not even 100% healthy yet. So, uh, it’s going to take some time. Um, especially when everybody else gets back. It’s still going to take a little bit more, but, um, yeah, we’re starting to get we’re starting to get some flashes of some stuff from last year. There’s your note for as a player that plays with a lot of joy. You talked about loving this game and wanting to play it for a long time. Jaylen Tyson also is a player that does that. Kenny Ason kind of talked about you two kind of invoking that into the entire arena. Being around Jaylen for a year now and yourself, what is just the joy that you play with and seeing that come out of him. Uh man, he’s the one thing I can say about him, he’s learning like he’s from last year to this year is a huge step and I tip my hat off to him because we’ve been on him a lot. Um and he’s just he’s responding really well, man. Um it’s good to see. I’m super happy for him. He worked his tail off this summer to get here and um he’s going to be a really big part of of our next jump. Um he does all the little stuff for us. Uh he guards some of the best wings on the other team. Gets offensive rebounds, deflections, all the stuff that we really need and all the stuff that don’t even show up on the stat sheet. So, uh yeah, we we really needed him tonight. He brought a lot of energy for us and we going to need that for 82 and plus. It’s your first year playing with Lonzo alongside and first time actually playing in rotations with him as well. How have you seen how you guys kind of complement each other and how his transition offense and your half court offense shift the geometry of the defense? Yeah, so he just he magician with the rock for real. Um it was a couple passes tonight that I was like, “Oh like that was a dime.” So um yeah, just him and his pace and my pace as well. Um, I get a lot of movement off the ball so I can create for others and then he can create for others with the ball in his hand. So, um, with that us two in the in that second unit, uh, it’s going to be a lot of fast pace, a lot of threes, uh, get a couple stops and get out in transition and see what we can do from there. Um, you talking about JT just kind of brought up to me like you haven’t really talked about the young guys because you haven’t had the opportunity to. um Quan and and CP and even Tyrese, just what has it meant to watch them from the sidelines, you know, contributing to to real games in real game situations? Yeah, it’s super cool to see. Um especially Jaylen, Quan, and CP. Um they’ve been around for a little bit, so actually getting a chance to get on the floor and actually produce a little bit. Um I’m happy to see it. Everybody else in the organization is as well. Um they’ve been playing their tails off. They’ve been keeping us in a lot of games and winning us a lot of games with their energy and their impact. So, um it’s super good to see. Then the rook, I mean, he’s going to be really good in my opinion. He’s going to be super good. Um his pace, his mind, he’s always thinking about what we can get to next. Um he plays at his own speed. He gets any shot that he wants to shoot the ball really well. um it’s just about him just learning and just seeing the game now and uh reacting instead of just doing stuff. So, um I’m super excited about Tyrese for sure. Um I’m always in his ear about just just getting better. Just come to the gym with me, come get some shots up with me. Um so yeah, I’m really excited about about Tyrese, but Tomlin and Porter, they gonna help us a lot. and Tyson, they’re gonna help us a lot during during this season. So, I’m super excited for them. And CP was busy like heck over the summer, just getting his body right, getting his conditioning right. Just the dedication that he put into it and and to see the results come um in the first, you know, few weeks of the season here. He’s been one of your guys’ best players. Yeah, for sure. Um he has put in a lot of work. Uh Kenny used to text me in the summertime like, “Yeah, I got your boy Craig here.” Uh I’m like, “Man, give him a break.” But Katie was on him a lot and Craig took it. So, it was super good to see the mindset that he had going into this summer. And uh he knew that Kenny was going to be on him heavy. So, uh it was good that he responded really well and I’m super happy that he was playing really well in this season.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland speaks to the media after the team’s 120-109 win over the Indiana Pacers at home.

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