INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — The Cleveland Cavaliers have started their season strong with a 5-1 record, all without All-Star guard Darius Garland, who has been sidelined since suffering an eye laceration in the season opener. But with his eye healing well, Garland is nearing a return to the court, now listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against the Boston Celtics.
He's been staying ready for the moment by watching everything his team is doing through each of the last five games.
"He's watching with an eye on what's happening and why it's happening, so when he does come back he understands and he's participating even though he's not out on the floor," said head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. "His personality, the way he carries himself, it's engaging, his teammates love him...That's the most difficult thing about being injured, is you're often isolated, so him still continuing to still be a part of it will help translate him back on the court more easily."
The Cavs haven't missed a beat while Garland's been out, stepping up to the challenge of losing Garland with guys sharing the responsibility of leading the team. New Cavalier Donovan Mitchell has run point in Garland's place and has set records with his impressive 30+ point scoring. Caris LeVert recently had a massive 41-point game and even when his shot isn't falling, he's stepped up defensively. Meanwhile, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley both continue to dominate with Mobley finding an offensive groove as of late.
Part of the Cavs success with Garland off the floor might be attributed to the fact that while he's been unable to play, he's never left their side.
Teammate Dean Wade, while slipping in a joke, noted that Garland's energy has been something the team appreciates, but that Garland has also been very helpful with their game as well.
"DG's bench vibes, man, he's been super energetic, super helpful, super talkative. Just being super positive the whole time, it's always fun," Wade said. "He's one of the funniest people I've met. He's always just joking around. He does chime in what he sees on the court—even if it is only with one eye—different coverages and stuff like that."
“Anytime anyone does anything–it can be something little, he's always up screaming and yelling," Mobley added.
Garland was full go in Tuesday's shootaround and was working without goggles, but he does have them if he needs them. The swelling in his eye appears to have significantly reduced, with his eye actually able to remain open on its own, which wasn't the case a few days ago.
#Cavs Darius Garland's eye looks much less swollen. The team will keep monitoring it, but it's definitely getting better every day. pic.twitter.com/Hrnukijjwd
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) November 1, 2022
The Cavs plan to continue monitoring Mobley's eye before making a decision on playing him Wednesday, but even if he does end up sidelined just a little longer—the team knows he'll bring the energy.
"It's his spirit. The guys love it, he loves his teammates. He's entertaining, my kids talk about it all the time, so they enjoy it. As long as they get a kick out of it," Bickerstaff said.
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
