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Darius Garland

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Darius Garland
Garland with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2022
No. 10 – Cleveland Cavaliers
PositionPoint guard
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2000-01-26) January 26, 2000 (age 24)
Gary, Indiana, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight192 lb (87 kg)
Career information
High schoolBrentwood Academy
(Brentwood, Tennessee)
CollegeVanderbilt (2018–2019)
NBA draft2019: 1st round, 5th overall pick
Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Playing career2019–present
Career history
2019–presentCleveland Cavaliers
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference

Darius Kinnard Garland (born January 26, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is often referred to as DG the PG. He played college basketball for the Vanderbilt Commodores. Born in Gary, Indiana, Garland is the son of former professional basketball player Winston Garland. Garland attended Brentwood Academy in high school, joining the varsity basketball team in eighth grade and leaving as a four-time state champion and three-time Tennessee Mr. Basketball winner. He was a five-star recruit, ranked among the best point guards in the 2018 class, and a McDonald's All-American.

Garland committed to Vanderbilt as the best recruit in program history. After five games, his college career was cut short by a meniscus injury, which prompted him to leave the team to prepare for the NBA draft. After criticism in his first season due to perceived disappointing play, Garland was named to his first NBA All-Star Game in 2022, and finished third in voting for the NBA's Most Improved Player award the same year.

Early life

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Garland was born in Gary, Indiana, to Felicia Garland and former NBA player Winston Garland. He grew up playing baseball and started basketball at age five but soon narrowed down his focus to only the latter sport.[1] Garland continued with basketball in elementary school and scored his first basket in second grade.[2] In third grade, he attended basketball camps in Valparaiso, Indiana led by Bryce Drew, who would become his college coach at Vanderbilt.[3] Garland played on a travel team against older opponents and joined an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) squad based in Nashville, Tennessee when he was in fourth grade, because none of the local teams met his standards.[4] After he completed sixth grade, his family moved to Tennessee so that he could attend Brentwood Academy in Brentwood, Tennessee with his AAU teammates Gavin Schoenwald and Camron Johnson.[4][5] Garland's father described, "We had always talked about relocating. My mother had lived in Tennessee and she liked it. I just talked to the family and everybody was on board. It was a big leap of faith."[4]

High school career

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Garland joined the starting lineup for the Brentwood Academy varsity basketball team while in eighth grade.[6] In his freshman season, he averaged 17 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game, leading his team to a Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Division II-AA state championship.[7] Garland was one of three finalists for Tennessee Mr. Basketball among Division II-AA players.[8] On December 23, 2015, as a sophomore, he claimed most valuable player (MVP) honors at the King of the Bluegrass Holiday Classic, after scoring 23 points versus Fairdale High School in the title game.[9] Garland averaged 18.6 points and 4.3 assists per game and earned TSSAA Division II-AA Mr. Basketball accolades.[2] High school sports website MaxPreps also included him in its Sophomore All-American Team honorable mention.[10] From his sophomore to junior year, he grew 2½ inches, and by his fourth season with Brentwood Academy, he was ranked the best point guard in the 2018 class by recruiting service 247Sports.[11]

In March 2017, Garland garnered Naismith Trophy High School All-America honorable mention recognition.[12] He averaged 23.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game and led his team to a 30–2 record and state championship. Garland additionally earned MaxPreps Junior All-American first team distinction.[13] On November 13, 2017, he committed to play college basketball for Vanderbilt, drawn there by its proximity to his home and head coach Bryce Drew.[5] Entering his senior season, Garland appeared in the USA Today All-USA preseason team.[14] He averaged 27.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.7 steals and secured a fourth straight state title for Brentwood Academy, tying the TSSAA record.[15][16] Garland joined the MaxPreps High School All-American third team and became the only player other than Brandan Wright to win Tennessee Mr. Basketball on three occasions.[15][16] In March 2018, he was named Gatorade Tennessee Player of the Year and a semifinalist for the Naismith Trophy.[17] On March 28, Garland recorded a game-high 11 assists at the 2018 McDonald's All-American Game.[18] He took part in the Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit as well.[17]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Darius Garland
PG
Brentwood, TN Brentwood Academy (TN) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Nov 13, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 93
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 17  247Sports: 11  ESPN: 16
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Vanderbilt 2018 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  • "2018 Vanderbilt Commodores Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  • "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 26, 2018.

College career

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Garland entered the 2018–19 season as the best recruit to ever sign with Vanderbilt.[19] He was the only freshman in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) to make the preseason all-conference team.[20] On November 6, 2018, in his first college game against Winthrop, Garland led all scorers with 24 points.[21] In a 79–70 win over Liberty on November 19, he scored a season-high 33 points, the second-most points by a freshman in school history.[22] Garland injured his knee during a layup versus Kent State on November 23 and left the game early.[23] Four days later, Vanderbilt head coach Bryce Drew revealed that Garland would be sidelined for the remainder of the season with a meniscus injury.[24] On January 22, 2019, he announced that he would leave Vanderbilt to recover from his injury and prepare for the 2019 NBA draft.[25] Garland later became one of 77 total invitees to take part in the NBA Draft Combine.[26] However, he left the event early on May 15, with the notion that he got promised a selection by a team in the NBA draft lottery.[27]

Professional career

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Cleveland Cavaliers (2019–present)

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Early years (2019–2021)

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Garland at the opening of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in 2019

Garland was selected with the fifth pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2019 NBA draft.[28] On July 3, 2019, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Cavaliers.[29] On October 23, 2019, Garland made his debut in NBA, starting in an 85–94 loss to the Orlando Magic with eight points, two rebounds, five assists and a steal.[30] Garland made history during this game by becoming the first player born in the 2000s to make his NBA debut.[31] On November 22, he scored a season-high 23 points, alongside four assists, in a 101–143 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.[32] During his rookie season, Garland was often ranked amongst the NBA's worst players.[33] He finished his rookie season averaging 12.3 points and 3.9 assists per game. Garland was excluded from both of the season-end NBA All-Rookie teams.[34]

On December 23, 2020, Garland made his season debut for the Cavaliers, recording 22 points, six rebounds and six assists in a 121–114 win over the Charlotte Hornets.[35] On April 5, 2021, he scored a then career-high 37 points, along with seven assists in a 125–101 win over the San Antonio Spurs.[36] Despite the Cavaliers missing the playoffs for a third straight season, Garland averaged 17.4 points per game, alongside 6.1 assists and 1.2 steals.

First All-Star selection (2021–present)

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On January 12, 2022, Garland recorded his first career triple-double, putting up 11 points, 10 rebounds, and a then career-high 15 assists, in a 111–91 win over the Utah Jazz.[37] On January 15, Garland recorded 27 points and a career-high 18 assists in a 107–102 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.[38] On February 3, he was selected to his first NBA All-Star Game as a reserve.[39] On March 8, Garland scored a then career-high 41 points with 13 assists in a 127–124 win against the Indiana Pacers.[40] On April 12, Garland scored a team-leading 34 points in a 115–108 NBA play-in tournament loss to the Brooklyn Nets.[41] The following game, Garland and the Cavaliers lost to the Atlanta Hawks,[42] meaning that despite doubling their previous season's win total from 22 to 44 and finishing with the eighth best record in the eastern conference,[43] they would not advance to the postseason. Garland later finished third, behind Ja Morant and Dejounte Murray, in voting for the Most Improved Player award.[44]

Garland at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game

On July 9, 2022, Garland signed a five-year, $231M designated rookie extension with the Cavaliers.[45][46] On November 13, he scored a career-high 51 points, with 27 points scored in the fourth quarter, including a personal record 10-of-15 three-point shots in a 129–124 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He became the fourth Cavaliers player to score 50, joining LeBron James (nine times), Kyrie Irving (twice) and Walt Wesley (once). His ten 3-pointers doubled his previous single-game high and were one short of Irving's team record. He also became the youngest player to score 50+ points and hit 10+ threes in a game before turning 25.[47][48] On November 18, Garland led the Cavaliers to a double-overtime 132–122 win against the Charlotte Hornets with a game-leading 41 points.[49]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

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Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2019–20 Cleveland 59 59 30.9 .401 .355 .875 1.9 3.9 .7 .1 12.3
2020–21 Cleveland 54 50 33.1 .451 .395 .848 3.4 6.1 1.2 .1 17.4
2021–22 Cleveland 68 68 35.7 .462 .383 .892 3.3 8.6 1.3 .1 21.7
2022–23 Cleveland 69 69 35.5 .462 .410 .863 2.7 7.8 1.2 .1 21.6
2023–24 Cleveland 57 57 33.3 .446 .371 .834 2.7 6.5 1.3 .1 18.0
Career 307 303 33.8 .448 .384 .864 2.6 6.7 1.2 .1 18.4
All-Star 1 0 24.0 .449 .387 1.0 3.0 2.0 .0 13.0

Play-in

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2022 Cleveland 2 2 41.3 .431 .308 .875 2.0 7.0 2.5 .0 27.5
Career 2 2 41.3 .431 .308 .875 2.0 7.0 2.5 .0 27.5

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2023 Cleveland 5 5 37.7 .438 .387 .840 1.8 5.0 1.6 .2 20.6
2024 Cleveland 12 12 36.0 .427 .352 .810 3.6 5.8 1.1 .2 15.7
Career 17 17 36.5 .430 .363 .826 3.1 5.5 1.2 .2 17.1

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2018–19 Vanderbilt 5 5 27.8 .537 .478 .880 3.8 2.6 1.8 .6 16.2

Personal life

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Garland's father Winston Garland played college basketball for Missouri State before spending seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).[50] He later became a recreational leader at the Indiana State Prison and coach for West Side Leadership Academy in Gary.[51] Both of Garland's grandfathers served in the United States Army. He has an older sister and four older brothers.[1][52]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Darius Garland". USA Basketball. March 13, 2018. Archived from the original on June 11, 2016. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Murphy, Michael (April 17, 2016). "Darius Garland is Boys Basketball Player of the Year". The Tennessean. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  3. ^ Rexrode, Joe (November 14, 2017). "Darius Garland, Rick Byrd and an epic day for Nashville basketball". The Tennessean. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c Hutton, Mike (January 28, 2017). "Gary's Darius Garland turns into Brentwood's latest basketball savant". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Murphy, Michael (November 13, 2017). "Darius Garland of Brentwood Academy commits to Vanderbilt basketball". The Tennessean. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  6. ^ Pulliam, Charles (November 13, 2017). "Brentwood Academy standout Garland chooses Vanderbilt". Williamson Herald. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  7. ^ Murphy, Michael (April 23, 2015). "BA's Darius Garland named to USA Junior National Team". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  8. ^ "TSSAA's Division II Mr. and Miss Basketball are announced". Daily Herald. March 1, 2015. Archived from the original on January 29, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  9. ^ Frakes, Jason (December 23, 2015). "King of the Bluegrass: Brentwood Academy beats Trinity for title". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  10. ^ Hickman, Jason (April 20, 2016). "2015-16 MaxPreps Boys Basketball Sophomore All-American Team". MaxPreps. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  11. ^ Murphy, Michael (January 5, 2017). "Nation's top junior point guard Darius Garland still yet to reach his peak". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  12. ^ "Naismith Trophy High School Boys All-America team announced". USA Today High School Sports. March 8, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  13. ^ "2016-17 MaxPreps Boys Basketball Junior All-American Team". MaxPreps. April 11, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  14. ^ Halley, Jim (November 27, 2017). "2017-18 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Preseason Boys Basketball Team". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  15. ^ a b Divens, Jordan (April 10, 2018). "2017-18 MaxPreps High School Boys Basketball All-American Team". MaxPreps. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  16. ^ a b "Darius Garland". Vanderbilt University. Archived from the original on October 15, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  17. ^ a b Murphy, Michael (March 8, 2018). "Vanderbilt signee Darius Garland named Gatorade Tennessee Boys Basketball Player of the Year". The Tennessean. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  18. ^ "Darius Garland has stellar McDonald's Game". Vanderbilt University. March 29, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  19. ^ Boclair, David (October 18, 2018). "Garland quickly establishes himself as VU's leader". NashvillePost.com. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  20. ^ "Darius Garland named as Second-Team Preseason All-SEC selection - Vanderbilt University". Vanderbilt University. November 6, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  21. ^ "Winthrop vs. Vanderbilt - Box Score - November 6, 2018 - ESPN". ESPN. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  22. ^ Sparks, Adam (November 19, 2018). "How Darius Garland's 33 points nearly broke Vanderbilt record in his fourth game". The Tennessean. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  23. ^ "Vanderbilt Star Freshman Darius Garland Injured in Loss to Kent State". Sports Illustrated. Associated Press. November 23, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  24. ^ Borzello, Jeff (November 27, 2018). "Vanderbilt's Darius Garland out for remainder of season". ESPN. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  25. ^ Sparks, Adam (June 20, 2019). "Sounds like Cavaliers will draft Darius Garland No. 5 if they don't trade pick". Yahoo Sports. Archived from the original on June 21, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  26. ^ Sixty-six players expected to attend NBA Draft Combine
  27. ^ NBA Draft 2019: Darius Garland fuels lottery speculation by leaving combine
  28. ^ "Cavs Select Darius Garland, Dylan Windler in 2019 NBA Draft". NBA.com. June 20, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  29. ^ "Cavaliers Sign Garland, Windler and Porter Jr". NBA.com. July 3, 2019. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  30. ^ "Magic, Vucevic beat Cavaliers in season opener". ESPN.com. October 23, 2019. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  31. ^ "Darius Garland Makes History in NBA Debut". FlurrySports. October 25, 2019. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  32. ^ "DONCIC ROLLS WITH NOWITZKI WATCHING, MAVS ROUT CAVS 143-101". NBA.com. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  33. ^ "Darius Garland was the NBA's worst player. Should he get a pass for horrible rookie season?". Cleveland.com. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  34. ^ "Report: Darius Garland 'Feels Snubbed and Disrespected' by Exclusion From All-Rookie Teams". Cavaliers Nation. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  35. ^ "LAMELO SCORELESS IN DEBUT, CAVS OUTLAST HORNETS IN OPENER". NBA.com. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  36. ^ Fedor, Chris (April 4, 2021). "Darius Garland's career night helps Cleveland Cavaliers end losing streak, beat San Antonio Spurs, 125-101". cleveland.com. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  37. ^ Patt, Jason (January 12, 2022). "Donovan Mitchell hops on Cavs' Darius Garland All-Star bandwagon". ClutchPoints. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  38. ^ Bielik, Tim (January 15, 2022). "Darius Garland ignites Cleveland Cavaliers' rally from 18-point deficit in 107-102 win over Oklahoma City Thunder". cleveland.com. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  39. ^ "Darius Garland Selected as All-Star Reserve for 2022 All-Star Game in Cleveland". Cleveland Cavaliers. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  40. ^ "Garland scores career-high 41, leads Cavs past Pacers". ESPN. Associated Press. March 9, 2022. Archived from the original on March 21, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  41. ^ Irving, Durant lead Nets past Cavs in play-in for No. 7 seed
  42. ^ Young's 38 lift Hawks past Cavs for No. 8 playoff seed
  43. ^ CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (44-38)
  44. ^ "Ja Morant Topped Darius Garland And Dejounte Murray To Win The NBA's Most Improved Player Award". Uproxx. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  45. ^ "Darius Garland signs multi-year extension with Cavaliers". www.nba.com. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  46. ^ "Cavs All-Star Garland gets max rookie extension". ESPN.com. July 2, 2022. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  47. ^ "Darius Garland Scores A Career-High 51 Points In Loss To Minnesota". si.com. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  48. ^ "Garland's career-high 51 not enough, Cavs lose to Wolves". ESPN.com. November 13, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  49. ^ Cleveland Cavaliers find a way to win 2OT thriller, snap skid
  50. ^ "Five Things to Know: Darius Garland". USA Basketball. March 17, 2018. Archived from the original on January 29, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  51. ^ "Winston Garland". The Times of Northwest Indiana. September 30, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  52. ^ "Darius Garland, Brentwood Academy's star guard, gears up for season as his recruitment winds down". The Tennessean. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
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