CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavs’ rocky start to the season has many fans and analysts scratching their heads. At 14-11, the team isn’t exactly failing, but something is clearly off with a squad that entered the year with championship aspirations.

One of the most concerning developments? All-Star guard Darius Garland’s significant struggles since returning from a major foot injury.

On the latest episode of Terry’s Talkin’ podcast, cleveland.com columnist Terry Pluto didn’t mince words about what he’s seeing from Garland, and offered a prescription that might make some fans uncomfortable.

“Sit him for a couple weeks,” Pluto said after reviewing Garland’s recent performances.

The numbers support Pluto’s concern. Over his last five games, Garland has been alarmingly inefficient, shooting 7-for-30 from 3-point range – less than 25%.

His overall field goal percentage hovers around 34%, and perhaps most concerning is his plus-minus rating, which has been deeply negative in nearly every game.

Pluto’s response was telling:

“It’s not good. The foot thing’s a problem.”

The foot injury and surgery over the offseason appear to be the root cause of Garland’s issues. Pluto says he hasn’t regained the quickness and burst that made him an All-Star. But the problems extend beyond just missed shots.

“Part of the reason for that plus-minus being so bad is his defense,” Pluto said. “(Cleveland.com beat reporter) Chris Fedor does a good job of breaking down how the opponents ‘target’ him.

“You know, they’ll set a pick and roll thing, and he ends up on a really tough scoring guard to defend.”

Garland’s struggles are emblematic of a larger issue with the Cavs, whom Pluto described as “discombobulated” – a term he attributed to legendary coach Lenny Wilkins, meaning “you don’t know your right from left or up from down.”

The team’s shot selection has become particularly problematic, and Pluto used his math from his days as a Benedictine High School student to break it down.

“Heading into the weekend, they were leading the league in 3-point attempts and are 22nd in 3-point percentage. As I wrote, even my Benedictine math, which may not be analytical, but Benedictine math says that is not a good thing.”

This approach has frustrated Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson, who according to Pluto “has been saying, ‘There’s at least four or five 3-pointers every game where we think, well, you know, if we were just a little more patient, we could have gotten the ball inside.’ ”

Pluto’s suggested solution – sitting Garland until his foot fully heals – might seem radical, but he believes it would benefit both Garland and the team long-term. Pluto thinks a reset is necessary.

“He’s not getting to the rim for his kind of floaters or whatever. It’s just not happening for him,” Pluto said.

With the Cavaliers getting some rare practice time this week, they have an opportunity to reassess their approach. The schedule provides a potential opening for success with upcoming games against Washington tonight, then Charlotte on Sunday and two against Chicago next week – all winnable matchups if Cleveland can get their house in order.

Here’s the podcast for this week:

If you have a question or a topic you’d like to see included on the podcast, email it to sports@cleveland.com, and put “Terry’s Talkin’” in the subject line.

You can find previous podcasts below.