(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been through a lot this season.
Injuries tried to derail their promising campaign, but JB Bickerstaff’s team was quite resilient, and they kept fighting through adversity.
Notably, Darius Garland also had to stay mentally strong to cope with the injuries he had to deal with.
Now, with the playoffs just around the corner, the former lottery pick admits he’s eager to take another leap forward, stating that he’s had that itch to play postseason basketball since they were eliminated last season (via Bally Sports Cleveland).
“Sound great. I’ve been waiting on it for a long time, since last year actually,” Garland said.
“Sound great. I’ve been waiting on it for a long time, since last year actually.”
Darius Garland is more than ready to get back to the playoffs, especially after a year of adversity that he has had, he says.#LetEmKnow | @cavs pic.twitter.com/gxPGGEHSHp
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) April 13, 2024
The Cavs were quite solid in the regular season but struggled mightily in the playoffs.
They addressed their glaring need for a starting small forward by adding Max Strus, and they’ve looked like a better team overall this season, even winning multiple games despite having Garland, Evan Mobley, and/or Donovan Mitchell on the shelf.
This could be a make-or-break postseason for the Cavaliers.
Donovan Mitchell hasn’t committed to signing a contract extension with the team, and all signs point toward him walking away if they don’t get far into the postseason.
The Cavs could be forced to move on from him if he doesn’t commit to signing a contract extension, and while they could get a nice value in return, it could also set them back a couple of years.
That’s why they need to make the most of this opportunity while they still can, and the final day of the regular season will be one for the ages, as most teams in the East will fight for playoff seeding.
The post Darius Garland Sends Clear Message Ahead Of The Playoffs appeared first on The Cold Wire.