The Cleveland Cavaliers welcomed Darius Garland back from offseason toe surgery on November 5 against the Philadelphia 76ers. However, there is growing concern regarding Garland after he seemingly re-injured his surgically repaired left toe in just his third game of the season.
According to ESPN, Garland re-aggravated his left toe in the Cavaliers’ 140-138 overtime loss to the Miami Heat on Monday night. He possibly suffered the injury late in the second quarter after getting fouled by Nikola Jovic. He was driving on the baseline when the contact happened.
Garland was visibly upset after the play and began limping for several possessions before getting taken out. He returned in the second half but was quickly taken off because he looked like he was in discomfort. He was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the game.
The 25-year-old guard initially suffered the toe injury in March last season. He re-aggravated it in the first round of the playoffs before returning against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. He underwent surgery in June and was ruled out for four to five months.
Cavs ‘Holding Their Breath’ Regarding Garland’s Latest Setback
Ethan Sands and Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com broke down what happened in Monday’s game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat on their “Wine and Gold Talk” podcast. They reported that there is a growing concern in Cleveland about Darius Garland’s injury, though nothing is concrete until he undergoes further testing.
“Following the game, it was confirmed to be the same toe he had surgery on, raising significant concern within the Cavaliers organization. While teammate Donovan Mitchell noted Garland was in “good spirits,” the team is reportedly “holding its breath” pending a more extensive evaluation. This development casts uncertainty on Garland’s availability and the lingering nature of the tricky injury,” Sands and Fedor wrote.
While some fans are playing the blame game and putting the injury on the franchise, Sands and Fedor clarified that Garland passed all the tests to get cleared by the medical team.
The Cavaliers were so cautious about his health that the two-time All-Star had to undergo multiple tests during his rehab before he was allowed to practice and join scrimmage. There was also no way to know how his surgically repaired toe would respond to the speed of the game until he was allowed to play in real time.
Garland struggled in his season debut with just eight points against the Philadelphia 76ers before following it up with a 20-point night in a win over the Washington Wizards.
Donovan Mitchell Shares Garland’s Reaction to Injury
Speaking to reporters after the game, Donovan Mitchell revealed that Darius Garland was in good spirits in the locker room. Garland is set for evaluation on Tuesday, but Mitchell understands that the season is long. The team can take care of everything, with Garland focusing on becoming fully healthy.
“I came back here with him and I said, ‘Hey, this is part of it.’ I’d rather this happen today than in four or five months… He’s fine, he’s in good spirits. In those moments, I know it’s tough. It sucks. And it’s tough for us as a group. He’ll be good. It’s November. We have a long ways to go,” Mitchell said, via Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
If Garland misses time because of the injury, Mitchell will likely shoulder some playmaking duties again. Lonzo Ball, Jaylon Tyson and Sam Merrill are also expected to get more minutes.
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