CLEVELAND — Darius Garland played in roughly half as many games (5) at Vanderbilt as Kyrie Irving played in at Duke before becoming the Cavaliers top draft pick.
If he’s anywhere near as good and nowhere near as odd the Cavs have found their point guard not just for the length of John Beilein’s contract but well beyond.
Even if acquiring Garland doesn’t turn the Cavs into Portland East — as the hopeful comparisons of Garland-Collin Sexton to Damian Lillard-CJ McCollum suggest —it can still work.
Sexton doesn’t have to try to become something he’s not now — a real NBA point guard.
And if Sexton and Garland can’t play together because of defensive vulnerabilities, Sexton might project best as instant offense off the bench anyway.
What the Cavs have for now is two guards who fit Beilein’s philosophy. Neither is yet the playmaker who lifts all other boats but the Cavs clearly think Garland can become a facilitator.
Absent a Top Three pick, the Cavs came away with a player who shouldn’t bump his head on his ceiling anytime soon.
A side benefit: unlike Irving, Garland may have already come to the conclusion that the earth — whatever its shape — doesn’t revolve around him.
- If you are flashing back to Irving-Dion Waiters, OK. That might seem inevitable even if it's not the same. Just know there are licensed therapists standing by.
- Drafting three players in the first round — Belmont’s Dylan Windler and USC’s Kevin Porter Jr. followed at No. 26 and No. 30, respectively — makes the Cavs younger than a Silicon Valley startup.
So contention won’t happen anytime soon.
If working with young players has kept Beilein young all these years, this roster is a Kevin Love trade away from Beilein starring in a sequel of Benjamin Button.
- When cleveland.com asked the obvious question Thursday night about Darius Garland — “How does the newest Cavalier look in wine and gold, Cleveland?” — an answer quickly came to mind.
Same as he does in any color.
Twelve.
- Murray State’s Ja Morant, drafted by Memphis at No. 2 overall, wore a pocket square with his image on it.
The two people kicking themselves for not thinking of that first:
Don King and Stephen A. Smith.
Not in that order.
- The NBA insists on plopping ball caps on draft picks otherwise dressed for a night out.
Or in the case of Bol Bol for a night out with Peter Parker.
- A flurry of trades made but not yet official gave us drafted players awkwardly wearing the hats of teams they wouldn’t be calling home.
As if there’s any other way to wear anything except a fedora with a pink or leopard spotted tux.
- It’s June 21. Odell Beckham Jr. is going off the social media grid to prepare for training camp.
Until July 1.
It’s that kind of sacrifice that so often goes unnoticed. Or at least should.
- Remember when Beckham said nobody understands what it’s like to be him? Now you guys who don’t want to be on Twitter and Facebook can say you do.
Until now it’s only been men in skirts.
- Pro Football Talk warns that the NFL’s revised pass interference rules could still end up being a “mess.”
Hard to imagine it won’t be as crystal clear as what constitutes a catch.
- Former Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan says being out of coaching “humbles you.”
If he says so.
Since a humbled Ryan brother seems as unlikely as a talkative Trappist monk, we may need more evidence.
- An ESPN story titled “The Le’Veon Bell Effect” promises to explain “how the Jets star can impact everyone around him.”
They mean for the better this time, right?
- The Indians have established separate throwing programs for Danny Salazar, one as a reliever and one as a starter.
You remember.
Salazar.
Righthander.
Lucifer goatee.
Still no?
You’d know him if you saw him.
I think.
- Via Pro Football Talk, the Washington Redskins insist they are not counting Colt McCoy out in the starting quarterback competition despite trading for Case Keenum and drafting former Ohio State QB Dwayne Haskins.
McCoy, who turns 33 in September, has required three surgeries after breaking his leg last December.
Nowhere is it written, but apparently to be out of the running in Washington you need to be at least 35 and/or be coming off four surgeries.
Sorry Theismann.
- According to reports, the XFL’s interest in former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel “remains to be seen.”
As does Manziel in any film room.
- Yahoo Sports reported the relationship between Houston Rockets guards Chris Paul and James Harden is “unsalvageable.” Paul denied that on social media.
The two reportedly went a few months without speaking much during the season. That didn’t stop Houston GM Daryl Morey from saying he would not entertain trade offers involving the 34-year-old Paul, who is due $125 million over the next three seasons.
I believe he will not entertain offers on Paul. He’ll just have him thrown into the back seat of a limo and driven to the first team that mentions his name.
- In Pittsburgh, Ben Roethlisberger says he is looking forward to “normalcy.”
In between radio shows where he calls out his teammates.
- O.J. Simpson is on Twitter seeking advice for picking a fantasy football team.
Adviser beware.
- Drew Brees is suing a California jeweler.
Brees and his wife paid $15 million for investment-quality diamond jewelry. Not long after, an appraiser priced the jewelry at $6 million.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, jeweler Vahid Moradi said he didn’t mark up the diamonds. He said he simply charged the couple the price the diamonds could be resold for in 10 to 15 years.
OK. As long as he didn't mark them up.
- This has nothing to do with sports but a woman named Marijuana Pepsi earned her Ph.D after writing her dissertation on uncommon names. So now it’s Dr. Marijuana Pespi.
And that sounds a lot more legitimate.
You’re welcome.
- Have a weekend.
