INGLEWOOD, CALIF— Darius Garland will recover from his toe injury and aim to get back to full health. As shown through only two games in Los Angeles, Garland has been impactful.
Nearly two months ago, Garland suffered a grade 1 toe sprain. The rest of his Cavaliers tenure was spent on the sidelines before being traded.
Even after moving to Los Angeles, Garland was still out due to injury. Almost a month later, Garland played his first two career games for the Clippers.
This current week, Garland appeared in games against the Warriors and Pacers. In limited minutes, he proved to be a valuable depth piece for the Clippers.
Bench Scoring
After sitting out for over a month, the Clippers planned to ease Garland into the rotation. This meant Garland would come off the bench and find his rhythm with his new team.
Garland’s Clipper debut started with 12 points against the Warriors. This was tied for second most bench points for the Clippers that night.
Against the Pacers, Garland matched his debut total with 12 points, but he was more efficient. He shot 50% from three-pointers and in total field goals.
Less pressure to score, allowed Garland to find good looks and adjust to the Clippers system. The bench role allowed Garland to reestablish some of his offense before he got hurt.
Along with Garland finding his groove, the Clippers greatly benefited from his presence. Both games saw Garland record a positive net rating, which led to Clipper victories.
Los Angeles witnessed more than buckets from Garland, there was also a glimpse of playmaking.
Playmaking Prowess
Throughout Garland’s career, he has been the top playmaker for his team. Since 2021, Garland has averaged over six assists per game.
In the matchup against Indiana, Garland recorded eight assists. This was the most from any player on the Pacers or Clippers.
Pass-first players are a key absence on the Clippers roster as, outside of Garland, no player averages four assists. However, this game against the Pacers showed that Garland could handle the necessary playmaking duties.
Since James Harden was traded, Los Angeles had been lacking a passer to run the offense. Yet even from a bench role, Garland filled in the shoes that were previously left by their previous guard.
Players like Kawhi Leonard and Ben Mathurin can be provided with more opportunities with Garland carrying the ball up. Once Garland is consistently on the court, he'll be able to find the top scorers on the team.
Now that Garland showed he can run an offense after the injury, that will be expected once again.
Health Precautions
For tonight’s matchup against the Spurs, Garland will be ruled out for the Clippers. He will not suit up due to the recurring toe injury that he suffered from back in January.
Before the Warriors matchup, Garland missed the previous 10 games with the Clippers. Instead of forcing Garland to play through the pain, Los Angeles was patient.
The injury does not affect the Clippers currently, because they spent weeks without Garland on the court. Los Angeles will just be back to their playstyle as if the Garland return never happened.
Granted that the Clippers are a capable team without Garland, his presence only makes them better. When Garland was on the court but not fully healthy, he was an effective bench player.
Then, if Garland becomes fully healthy, he’s the best playmaker and a top three player on the team. The guard back to his all-star level is much better than a hobbled bench player.
Come playoff time, it would benefit the Clippers to have a fully healthy Darius Garland. If the Clippers keep resting Garland, then Los Angeles has their final piece to make a deep run.