The Cleveland Cavaliers dominated the 2024-25 regular season, winning their first 15 games. Ending the regular season with the best record in the East and the second-best record in the NBA, only trailing the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Cavs would face off against the Miami Heat in the first round. Cleveland would breeze through them, winning the series in dominant fashion, sweeping the series four to zero. With their confidence riding at an all-time high, Cleveland thought they would bring the same energy in their next series against the Indiana Pacers as heavy favorites.
But in sports anything can happen.
Darius Garland had suffered a toe injury in the late regular season and then re-aggravated it in the playoffs, forcing him to sit out multiple games. Even when Garland was on the court, he didn’t have the same explosion and quickness we’re used to seeing due to nursing his toe injury.
The Pacers pulled off the upset, humiliating the Cavs in five games. Garland was asked how far the team would have gone if he were healthy.
“I think we would have won it,” Garland said.
That demonstrates his strong belief in this team and the talent present in the building and locker room.
You want to see players confident in their team, considering they are playing in a wide-open East with injuries to both Tyrese Halliburton and Jayson Tatum. This season is essential for Cleveland and their core moving forward. With no present favorite or established winning team, there are no more excuses for this team. It’s their time to take control of their goals. The first step is remaining confident in the team and their abilities.
Garland has done just that, and you need that from your leaders on the team. That’s fuel for a locker room, it can flow to other players on the team to feel that same energy.
Darius also needs to be able to back up his words, when he says things like this, his play on the court needs to reflect what he says. He’s going to have to have a large impact on the games to help out Donovan Mitchell, who at times appeared to be willing the team on his own.
Forcing him to tap into his reserves of energy and forcing him to become more ball dominant than normal. Which is exhausting—to try to create so much offense while staying engaged defensively.
Garland needs to prove that he’s worth his five-year, $200 million contract in the playoffs. No doubt about it.
It’s a promising sign for him and for Cleveland’s fans that he remains confident in himself and the team going forward. In pursuit of bringing a championship to Cleveland.