Cleveland Cavaliers fans, start getting excited. Ohio’s point guard, Darius Garland, might be back sooner than you think. The All-Star guard has been keeping his cards close to the chest, but during the Cavs’ 119-111 season-opening loss to the New York Knicks, Garland gave ESPN’s Lisa Salters just enough to get the hype train rolling.
“I have a date in my head,” Garland said with a grin. “I’m not going to say the date right now. But, I’m pretty close.” Pretty close? That’s all Cavs fans needed to hear. After spending months recovering from toe surgery that sidelined him through the playoffs and much of the summer, Garland finally sounds like himself again. He’s back to playing five-on-five, working out daily, and regaining the rhythm that made him one of the most dynamic guards in the NBA. However, some fans on X thought DG looked a little “Disinterested” in the interview. However, many chalked it up to teh guard wanting to watch his team play.
“I’m feeling really good,” he said. “I’m back playing live in practice. Playing five-on-five against the team. I’m working out every day. Moving around. Everything’s been going great. It’s going well.” That’s music to Cleveland’s ears. Garland’s absence was painfully felt during last season’s playoff run, when he revealed he could barely walk due to his turf toe injury.
Darius Garland Opens Up About Battling Injuries
“I couldn’t walk during the playoffs,” he admitted. “So, it was hard for me to run, of course, [and] just going through that pain. I’m just trying to be out there for my teammates, though. [We’re] trying to win a championship. So, yeah, it was pretty tough. But ‘I’m glad it’s over.‘”
Garland’s competitive drive never wavered, and he’s made it clear that the Cavaliers’ championship aspirations are still alive. “Just our talent we had and the camaraderie we had,” he said, reflecting on last year’s squad. “No discredit to OKC, they deserve it. Congratulations to them for sure. But, I think we were right there in the race and hopefully right there in the race again. That’s what we’re going for. I think that we’re one of the top teams in this league. So, hopefully we have a good season this year.”
Head coach Kenny Atkinson seems to share Garland’s optimism, and maybe even a quiet sense of relief. “Really good,” Atkinson said. “He did most of the practice today, and we were live, so we’ll see how he responds tomorrow. I don’t know what that means big picture-wise, but good sign for us.” Still, Atkinson isn’t rushing his star point guard. “Let’s make sure we’re progressing because I want DG healthy long-term for the season, for the playoffs,” he said. “Really kind of having conversations with him, making sure the build-up is right. We’re erring on the side of long-term thinking.”
Cleveland Doesn’t Want to Rush Garland Back
That cautious optimism is smart, especially with the Cavs already short-handed. Max Strus is out to start the season, and De’Andre Hunter missed the opener against New York. That’s left Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley to carry most of the offensive load while role players like Lonzo Ball, Sam Merrill, and Dean Wade step up.
Even with those absences, Garland’s energy hasn’t left the building. Atkinson praised him for his leadership, noting that he’s become a vocal presence even while rehabbing. “I would put him in that very high basketball IQ category right off the bat,” the coach said. “He watches a lot of video, a lot of video of himself. He’ll send me stuff from other teams. He sent me something from Brooklyn, something we ran like four years ago, ‘Man, we could run this more.’ … He and Evan are both getting better at using their voice more. We need that because their voice carries a lot, carries more than mine, quite honestly.”
That’s the kind of leadership championship teams need, and Cleveland knows it. Coming off a 64-win season, the Cavaliers are determined to build on their success and make a deeper postseason run. But their ceiling hinges on one thing: Darius Garland being Darius Garland again. “The goal is to win a championship,” he said simply. “Try to get through these 82 healthy, get to the playoffs healthy, and see what we can do.”
Garland’s initial recovery timeline suggested a four-to-five-month process, pointing toward an early November return. But judging by his progress and his confident smirk when asked about his comeback, that “date in his head” might be just around the corner.
For now, the Cavs and their fans will keep waiting for the big reveal. But one thing’s certain: when Garland finally makes his return, it won’t just be another game. It’ll be the start of something Cleveland’s been waiting all summer for, a real shot at proving they belong among the NBA’s elite.
