"No offense to Ja... No offense to Dejounte and Trae" - Former NBA champion picks Cleveland Cavaliers' duo as league's best young backcourt
Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell have emerged as an incandescent backcourt duo for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The duo have fired up the Eastern Conference this season, and former NBA champion Channing Frye has expressed his thoughts on the duo emerging as the best backcourt in the league.
The Cleveland Cavaliers made a huge move by adding Donovan Mitchell to their ranks in the offseason. Although every rumor indicated that Mitchell would be headed to the New York Knicks, Cleveland shocked the basketball world by trading for Mitchell with the Utah Jazz.
In the process of doing so, the Cavs added one of the most lethal offensive guards in the league to their roster. Additionally, they paired him up with an extremely gifted rising star in Darius Garland.
With two of the most exciting young guards in the NBA running Cleveland's offense, the team has garnered a lot of attention for their brand of basketball. Factoring in the likes of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, the Cavs have emerged as a team to watch out for.
The Cleveland Cavaliers' backcourt duo has been nothing short of spectacular this season. In this regard, some would also argue that Cleveland currently boast the best backcourt in the league.
Also Read: “I like that comparison” – Cavaliers All-Star guard believes he has a better backcourt duo with Donovan Mitchell in comparison to Damian Lillard & CJ McCollum
This became a matter of debate on an episode of the Road Trippin' podcast.
The panel, featuring former Cleveland Cavaliers players Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye along with Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., debated who were the best guards in the league. The discussion led to a conversation regarding the best backcourt duos in the league.
This eventually resulted in Michael Porter Jr. asking the panel to pick between their choices for the best backcourt duo in the NBA. Frye responded to Porter Jr.'s question by saying:
"Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell — all day, every day,” he said. “… No offense to Ja. No offense to Desmond Bane. And no offense to Dejounte and Trae. I generally like bigger guards and I like guards that can shoot the ball. I need spacing, this is 2022.”
Frye's stance on the matter could be motivated by his link to the Cavs franchise. However, his defense of the argument appears to be just as valid.
With Garland and Mitchell both enjoying All-Star accolades, the duo certainly have the upperhand over the Grizzlies' backcourt.
However, the Hawks' duo may still present a compelling argument as they boast a slightly better record this season as well.
Also Read: "We believe we can win a championship, I know I do” – 2X NBA All-Star believes Atlanta Hawks are a title contender, says every athlete on the team is focused on winning
The Cleveland Cavaliers need to end their slump
While the ridiculous scoring performances of their star-studded backcourt have been impressive, the Cleveland Cavaliers are in an absolute slump. Having lost four of their last five games, the Cavs find themselves on a losing streak which is detrimental towards their growth as a unit.
After building up a solid eight-game winning streak, the team appears to have lost a lot of their momentum. While the likes of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland have put on some brilliant individual displays, the Cavs, as a unit, haven't fed off of this energy.
Darius Garland has 51 points — 27 of them in the fourth quarter 🔥 https://t.co/AqjSJqWZQb
With Mitchell and Jarrett Allen out on a day-to-day basis, the Cleveland Cavaliers will have to rally together to secure a win in their upcoming game. Having fallen down the ranks in the East, Cleveland will hope to stop this slide with a win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.