Los Angeles Clippers guard Darius Garland said moving from the Cleveland Cavaliers to Southern California has allowed him to “get my joy back” and reclaim a traditional point-guard role.
Speaking on the “Ball in the Family Podcast,” the two-time All-Star reflected on his first few months in Los Angeles after the February trade that sent him west and delivered James Harden to the Cavaliers. “Coming to a system where I can actually be me,” Garland said, adding that he now has the ball “for the majority of the game” and can act as “a second coach out there.”
Garland, 24, spent nearly six seasons in Cleveland, earning All-Star honors in 2021 and 2023. The arrival of Donovan Mitchell in 2022 pushed him into a shared ball-handling role, but he remained productive as the Cavaliers climbed the Eastern Conference standings.
With the Clippers, his usage rate spiked. Over the final stretch of the regular season he averaged 21.7 points and 8.6 assists, helping Los Angeles secure a spot in the Play-In Tournament.
The 6-foot-1 guard also addressed recurring skepticism about undersized backcourts, criticism he first heard alongside Collin Sexton in Cleveland and again when Mitchell joined the team. “They’re going to say whatever,” Garland noted.
Cleveland advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2018 after acquiring Harden, suggesting the blockbuster deal delivered benefits to both franchises.
Source: Hoops Wire
