Reports: Darius Garland to make return against Boston after suffering eye injury
The cavaliers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Cleveland Cavaliers got some great news on Wednesday as they found out that star guard Darius Garland will return. Cleveland (5-1) will need him on Wednesday night as they take on the Boston Celtics (4-2).
Garland missed five games due to an eye injury. He has been sitting out since getting poked in the eye during the first game of the season against the Toronto Raptors.
Cleveland has been one of the NBA's best teams to start the season. They have the third-best defense and fourth-best offense. Newly acquired Donovan Mitchell has more than held it down since his teammate went down.
Darius Garland (eye injury) will return to the lineup tonight for the Cavs, per @ShamsCharania
Garland has been sidelined since Cleveland's season opener on Oct. 19 https://t.co/AdgU6B4iQK
Adding Garland back to an already scorching-hot team should have them excited. He's going to add another threat to a scary offense. Garland finished last season averaging 21.7 points, 8.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals. Garland also shot an efficient 46.2%, including 38.3% from 3-point range. He was an All-Star for the first time last season, his third in the NBA.
With Cleveland playing as well as they have, it speaks volumes to what this team has done. After improving by 22 wins last season, they have shown they can be even better this season. The offseason moves that the front office made were impressive, and they must get the credit that they clearly deserve.
Although the season is still just six games in, the Cavaliers have to feel confident with what they've done. Cleveland is in second place in the Eastern Conference, sitting one game behind the Milwaukee Bucks (6-0).
If Garland can come back and do what he's done in his career, Cleveland has a real chance of coming out of the Eastern Conference. Their two biggest challenges at the moment seem to be the Bucks and Boston Celtics.
Their game against Boston on Wednesday will be must-see TV. They have a chance of beating them once again, and that's huge for the Eastern Conference standings. Having a tiebreaker over Boston is important as the Celtics will also likely be a top four team.
Garland and Mitchell will still have a connection that they need to make. With them only playing less than 20 minutes together in the first game, the duo could still struggle. If they can figure it out soon, Cleveland will be tough to beat. There's no rush, though. There will be plenty of time for them to do so.