Darius Garland isn’t lacking confidence, and he made that very clear in his latest interview. The Cleveland Cavaliers guard, who missed part of last season’s playoffs with a toe injury, recently claimed that if he had been healthy, the Cavaliers would have been NBA champions. Speaking on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Garland made the bold assertion that the Cavaliers had everything they needed to go all the way.
“I think we would have won it, I’ll say that pretty confidently. The talent of this group is just off the charts. The will we had on both sides of the ball was special. On the defensive end, we had two elite rim protectors. I’d say we had the Defensive Player of the Year and probably the second-best defensive big right behind him.”
“With Evan and J.A. down there blocking shots and protecting the paint, that was going to be a real problem for anybody. Then you look at Evan’s growth, Donovan being Donovan, D.G. coming along, Max Strus finding his rhythm, everything was starting to click. I felt I was playing pretty well in the first round, too. So yeah, I’ll say that confidently. I think we would have won.”
It’s hard to argue with Garland’s confidence when you look at Cleveland’s 2024-25 campaign. The Cavaliers finished with a 64-18 record, the best in the Eastern Conference and one of the top marks in franchise history. They had the league’s most efficient offense and ranked eighth in defensive rating.
Mobley was named Defensive Player of the Year, while Donovan Mitchell had an MVP-caliber season, finishing fifth in voting after averaging 28.9 points per game. Garland and Mitchell were one of the best backcourt duos in the league before injuries disrupted their postseason hopes.
Cleveland entered the playoffs as a legitimate title contender. They handled the Miami Heat with ease in the first round, winning in five games. But disaster struck in the second round against the Indiana Pacers. Garland missed the first two games of the series due to his lingering toe injury, and the Cavaliers blew late leads in both contests to fall behind 0-2.
He returned in Game 3 and helped the Cavs secure a win, but the Pacers’ pace and three-point barrage proved too much. Indiana closed out the series in five games, ending what many thought could be a Finals run for Cleveland.
Garland believes that the series and perhaps the entire postseason would have played out differently if he had been fully healthy.
Still, some question whether the Cavaliers could have overcome the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who dominated their way to a title behind MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. While Cleveland’s defense could have matched up well inside with Mobley and Allen, OKC’s depth and versatility across all positions presented unique challenges.
Garland’s confidence, though, isn’t misplaced. At just 25 years old, he’s one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers and a cornerstone of the Cavaliers’ future. He underwent offseason surgery to repair his injured toe and described it as basically a brand new toe, adding that he feels rejuvenated heading into the new season.
Cleveland’s goal now is clear: prove Garland right. If the Cavaliers can stay healthy, they have the talent to compete with anyone. And if Garland’s prediction ever comes true, he’ll have every reason to say, once again, that he saw it coming.
