The Los Angeles Clippers got younger on Tuesday after acquiring Darius Garland from the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Clippers parted ways with James Harden after two and a half seasons, with the former MVP having a better shot at winning a title in Cleveland.
Garland isn’t necessarily an upgrade at the moment since he has been plagued by foot injuries. He underwent surgery on his left big toe in the offseason, as reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania and Brian Windhorst.
The procedure caused him to miss the first seven games of the current campaign. He initially suffered the injury late in the regular season last year, and it persisted throughout the playoffs.
The two-time All-Star reinjured that same toe on November 10 against the Miami Heat. He was out for five games before returning 11 days later in a win over the Indiana Pacers. The Cavaliers were very cautious with Garland, preventing him from playing half of back-to-back games.
Unfortunately, he suffered another toe injury on January 16 against the Philadelphia 76ers. He was diving for a loose ball when he suffered the injury, which was diagnosed as a great right toe sprain.
According to ESPN, Garland was supposed to miss just seven to 10 days because of the injury. But it has been more than two weeks since he suffered a sprained right toe.
Garland’s Potential Clippers Debut Date
In addition to Darius Garland, the Los Angeles Clippers also acquired a second-round pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers, as per ESPN. Due to Garland’s injury, he still doesn’t have a concrete date for his first game as a member of the Clippers.
NBA insider Mark Medina of EssentiallySports cited sources within Garland’s camp to confirm when he could make his Clippers debut. They are expecting the 26-year-old guard to make his debut after the NBA All-Star break, which will be from February 13 to 19.
The Clippers’ first game back from the break will be on February 19 at home against the Denver Nuggets. They are also set to play the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena the following day.
But regardless of his debut date, Garland’s camp reportedly likes his fit with the Clippers.
Garland’s Fit With The Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are getting a player who is 10 years younger than James Harden and has a palatable contract until 2028 in Darius Garland. But how does he fit with the Clippers?
The Athletic’s Zach Harper perfectly summed up what the Clippers are getting from Garland, who just needs to stay healthy for a longer period.
“Garland’s job will be to run pick-and-rolls with (Ivica) Zubac and set up (Kawhi) Leonard for scoring opportunities,” Harper wrote. “He can also get his own shot and is a dead-eye 3-point shooter when he’s at his best.”
Harper added that Garland is entering his prime, so there’s still room for improvement. He no longer plays with Donovan Mitchell, who needs the ball in his hands more to be effective.
And as mentioned already, Garland just needs to remain durable to make this a huge win for the Clippers. They can’t afford to have another injury-prone player like Leonard, who, to be fair, has stayed relatively healthy this season.
Darius Garland Potential Clippers Debut Date Revealed