For much of the first half of December, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland was struggling, especially when it came to his shooting accuracy.
After a breakout campaign last year which saw him make his first All-Star Game, it seemed like he was regressing.
But more recently, Garland is starting to look like the stud that he was throughout the 2021-22 season.
In his last 13 games, he has put up 22.2 points and 7.8 assists per game, but more importantly, he is shooting 49.8 percent overall and 43.1 percent from 3-point range.
Even better, his turnovers, which have been an occasional concern for him, are down to 2.8 per contest during that span.
In Monday’s 113-103 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, Garland scored 30 points, and although he was just 9-of-22 overall, he went 5-of-10 from downtown while dishing off 11 assists.
Darius Garland dropped a 30 point, 11 assist double-double in the Cavs W 🔥
31 PTS
6 REB
11 AST
5 Threes pic.twitter.com/lRJiZqdKxb— NBA (@NBA) January 16, 2023
Of course, the day after Christmas, he exploded for 46 points on 14-of-20 overall shooting and 5-of-7 from beyond the arc against the Brooklyn Nets.
His exploits have raised his overall shooting accuracy so far this season to a decent 44.8 percent.
It is pretty safe to say Garland, at least for now, has turned the corner on his recent struggles.
Garland Will Face A Big Test On Wednesday
The Cavaliers will have the opportunity to make a big statement on Wednesday when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies, who have the second-best record in the Western Conference at 30-13.
The Grizzlies don’t have as much size or length as Cleveland, but they do have Ja Morant, who may be the NBA’s most exciting player right now.
It will be an opportunity for Garland to have a big game against a big opponent, especially with Donovan Mitchell ailing due to a groin injury.
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