Small Sample Size Won’t Sway Scouts Against Electric Guard from Vandy
With the current Draft system focusing so much on one-and-done players, a full
season is considered a very good sample size. Darius Garland played exactly five
collegiate contests – and could very well be one of the first five players
picked.
If Garland didn’t play a single game of college ball, he might still have been a
Lottery pick. But scouts likely saw enough of him in a handful of contests – and
word on the street is that he was given some form of guarantee; enough to make
him leave the Combine early.
Following a prolific high school career, the son of Winston Garland – who played
seven NBA seasons with the Warriors, Clippers, Nuggets, Rockets and T-Wolves –
could have attended the college of his choice. But as a youngster growing up in
Indiana, Garland attended basketball camps conducted by Bryce Drew at Valparaiso
– and when Drew got the Vandy job, the choice for Garland (whose family had
previously relocated to Tennessee) was an easy one.
As a high schooler, the lithe point guard was a four-time state champion and was
named Tennessee Mr. Basketball in each of his last three seasons. He grew
two-and-a-half inches from his sophomore to his junior year and going into his
senior year at Brentwood Academy was ranked as the best point guard of the 2018
Class by 247Sports.
He left Brentwood as a five-star recruit – the top recruit in Vandy hoops
history – piling up 11 assists in the McDonald’s All-American Game before taking
his talents to Nashville.
Garland came out the gates strong, leading all scorers with 24 points in a win
over Winthrop in his college debut. He set the Vanderbilt freshman single-game
scoring mark two games later – going off for 33 points in a win over Liberty.
That would prove to be the final full game of his college career – suffering a
left-knee injury that sidelined him for the season.
But despite the meniscus injury, NBA teams are more than willing to take the
risk on a pure point man who could become a volume scorer at the next level.
He might have the best handle in the 2019 Class, shot the three-pointer at a 48
percent clip and has drawn early comparisons to Damian Lillard as a player who
can get and hit his shot from anywhere on the floor.
We might not have seen much of Garland in college, but we’re about to get a good
look at him at the pro level after he becomes a top 10 pick in less than two
weeks.
Garland averaged 16.1 points and shot nearly 48 percent from long-range in his
short five-game run with Vanderbilt. Photo by David Sherman via NBA/Getty Images
STRENGTHS When Garland went down early in the season, point guards Ja Morant and
Coby White took over the conversation. Both excelled over the course of the
season and each impressed in the NCAA Tournament. But after his legendary prep
run in Tennessee, scouts know exactly what Garland’s strengths and weaknesses
are.
He’s not the explosive, above-the-rim athlete that Morant is or a total
speedster like White, but Garland might be more complete than both.
As mentioned, he might have the best handle in the incoming class – he can get
to anywhere he wants on the floor. He’s definitely an, ISO-type, score-first
point guard, but has excellent court vision and likes to get teammates involved.
He’s able to create for himself and others.
He’s not a blur, but has an outstanding burst and changes speeds very well –
especially in transition.
Critics can point to his small sample size, but Garland did shoot 48 percent
from long-range and his shot is silky smooth with a pure release. After his
33-point outing just four games into his career, scouts saw that he can score in
bunches – and he was averaging 16.1 ppg through five games before the injury.
Garland also showed a nice mid-range game, using an assortment of floaters and
giant-killers that will come in handy at the next level – especially considering
his light 175-pound frame. But even as he continues to work on strengthening his
upper-body, Garland has also proven to be a creative finisher at the rim with
either hand.
WEAKNESSES It’s redundant to highlight Garland’s light collegiate body of work,
but it’s also worth mentioning that he’ll enter the league without having
squared off against top-level competition. Dropping 33 points on Liberty and
dropping 33 points on the Milwaukee Bucks are two very different things.
And although all the medical reports have been good on Garland’s left knee,
there’s no guarantee that there won’t be complications down the road.
Garland doesn’t turn 20 until late January, so he’s got plenty of time to pack
some muscle on his 175-pound frame. In terms of his other measurables – for what
they’re worth – he won’t blow anyone away with his 6-5 wingspan or 8-1 standing
reach.
The other issues with Garland are the same as with most young point guards. He’s
turnover-prone – notching 13 assists and 15 turnovers over his five-game run. He
also had some turnover issues in high school, leading to some questions about
how he’ll be as a pure point at the pro level.
There are concerns about Garland coming into the Draft – mostly because of where
he’ll be selected and the position he plays. But scouts have seemingly already
overlooked the negatives and plan on handing him the keys come late June.
MEASURABLES: Height without Shoes: 6 feet 3 inches | Standing Reach: 8 feet 1.5
inches | Weight: 173 pounds | Wingspan: 6 feet 5.0 inches
HOW HE’D FIT OK, here’s where things get complicated.
The Cavaliers were beyond pleased with Collin Sexton as a rookie. He posted
rookie offensive numbers on par with LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Ron Harper.
But there’s still some question as to whether the Young Bull is best on or off
the ball. He ran the point through most of the season’s first half before
Brandon Knight took over at the 1. Sexton’s season took off at that point –
averaging 20.8 points on 46 percent shooting, including 42 percent from deep
from February forward. But he also averaged just 3.0 assists per last year.
Garland could keep Sexton off the ball, giving Cleveland a dynamic scoring duo
in the backcourt. Teams would have difficulty staying in front of either player
in the open floor and both have proven they can drain the deep jumper.
But the Wine & Gold would have issues on the defensive end and taking the ball
out of Sexton’s hands that much might impede his growth at the expense of
Garland’s.
Just ask the Trailblazers – having two similar, but extremely-talented guards
can spell success. Whether the Cavaliers decide to go in that direction is
anyone’s guess until the third Thursday of June.
Media Content:
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