With veterans like Matthew Dellavedova and Larry Nance Jr. off the roster, it seemed like there was a lack of veteran leadership on the roster.
The name that keeps coming up? Third-year point guard Darius Garland.
Garland, 21, was one of the main Cavaliers to make the trip out to Vegas to watch the team’s Summer League squad, as well as some workouts with fellow teammates at the Cleveland Clinic Courts in Independence.
With a young roster, some players would have to grow up quickly, and so far, Garland has acted not only as a leader, but also the confidence of a seasoned veteran.
When asked about some of the players who went out of their way to take him under their wing, new Cavaliers draft pick Evan Mobley mentioned Garland as one of the main players trying to help him transition, going as far to get him to be more vocal in an effort to become the defensive leader on the team.
The other good thing going for Garland is that he has newest Cavalier Ricky Rubio joining the backcourt. Garland told reporters that he’ll be picking his brain every day that he can.
With a track record of mentoring Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, and D’Angelo Russell, Garland seems to be in good hands with Rubio, both on the court and off of it.
Taking the leap…
It’s not often that a fifth overall pick can go under-the-radar, but for Cavaliers wing Issac Okoro, he seems to be a forgotten man, with Garland, Mobley, and Collin Sexton often grabbing the attention of fans and national media alike.
That hasn’t stopped Okoro from putting together an impressive offseason and receiving praise from teammates. Both Sexton and Garland mentioned Okoro as one of the players who has grown the most heading into his sophomore season.
“Issac [Okoro] is going to continue to get better,” Sexton said about Okoro on Cavs Media Day Monday. “I’m excited to see his progression.”
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff talked about Okoro’s next step for the offense is to have him play with the ball in his hands and create more as a secondary ball-handler to Garland and Sexton, while also getting out in transition.
Bickerstaff also mentioned that the team is working towards playing positionless basketball with their five best players. If Okoro can add that to his arsenal, along with an improved jumper? This Cavaliers offense could show new live and excitement in 2021-22.
First day for the new kid
Following his selection with the third overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley had his first official practice of NBA training camp on Tuesday.
The review from his teammate Darius Garland? Pretty good so far.
“He was talking a bit more today and I wasn’t expecting that, but he’s handling it well,” Garland said of Mobley following practice today. Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff also praised Mobley for his quick learning and attention to detail in drills in the offseason and practice.
For Mobley, the most difficult part of the NBA adjustment for him has been the speed from the draft process to offseason workouts and Summer League to getting a place and settling in part to the expedited draft process this offseason. The easiest part? Being accepted by the organization.
“They all accepted me, and everyone was nice and comforting,” Mobley told reporters after practice. “They all brought me into the family real easy. It was a nice smooth transition.”
Fans will get their first look at the newest Cavaliers draft pick at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Saturday, October 2nd at 1 pm for the Wine and Gold Scrimmage.
