CLEVELAND — It may just be a preseason game -- and one that's not even against NBA competition.
But it didn't take long for Darius Garland to show what he's capable of, as he made his preseason debut in the Cleveland Cavaliers' exhibition vs. San Lorenzo de Almagro at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Monday night.
After sitting for the entire first quarter of the contest, Garland checked in alongside Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, Cedi Osman and Collin Sexton to start the second. And it took less than three minutes for the Vanderbilt product to showcase his sky-high potential, as he drained a 31-foot stepback 3-pointer to score the first unofficial points of his professional career.
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Selected with the No. 5 overall pick in last summer's NBA Draft, Garland didn't have much of an opportunity to showcase his skills in the lone season that comprised his college career. With an MCL injury limiting his time at Vanderbilt to just five games, the Brentwood, Tennesee, native averaged 16.2 points and 47.8 percent shooting from 3-point range.
Nevertheless, the 6-foot-2 point guard's undeniable upside made him intriguing enough for the Cavs to select with their top pick in the draft -- despite Cleveland just being a year removed from drafting another point guard, Collin Sexton, with a top-10 pick.
Although it's early -- and again, the Cavs haven't even faced an NBA team yet this preseason -- the returns appear positive, especially as far as Garland's potential is concerned.
