WASHINGTON -- Following Thursday’s practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts, the final one before heading on a three-game road trip, rookie Darius Garland and backcourt mate Collin Sexton went through drills under the watchful eye of head coach John Beilein.

First, Garland would initiate the action, snapping passes to a cutting Sexton. Then they would switch roles. When the extra session concluded, Cleveland’s youngsters took turns draining a handful of 3-pointers together.

The exciting guard duo -- expected to be vital building blocks in the Cavaliers’ renaissance -- is still learning how to thrive alongside one another.

It’s been much easier for Sexton, the sophomore who is second on the team in scoring. Garland, meanwhile, has had a vexing start to his NBA career. He’s simply trying to find his way.

“This is his 11th real game in the last 12 months,” a member of the organization told cleveland.com. “Of course, he’s going to struggle early on with NBA competition. We believe in this kid.”

Not all rookies are on equal footing. Judgments should be saved for down the road. With the benefit of hindsight, these stumbles were probably predictable. Among his draft classmates, Garland came to the league with the least amount of experience and, as a result, is behind in his development after suffering a season-ending meniscus injury in the first few minutes of his fifth college game.

While New York Knicks neophyte RJ Barrett was putting up historic freshman numbers and helping lead Duke on a deep run through the NCAA Tournament, Garland was rehabbing. As Ja Morant exploded onto the scene as a sophomore, taking the throne as the draft’s top point guard, Garland could only watch. During his recovery, sources say Garland was limited to light running and spot shooting. He didn’t have the same opportunities to push his game forward -- his focus entirely about getting healthy again.

Garland admitted recently that he’s still shaking off the rust from so much time away. He conceded that the first month has been a learning experience -- on and off the floor.

Through seven games, Garland is averaging just 7.6 points on 29.2 percent from the field and 25.9 percent from 3-point range -- stunning numbers for a kid touted as a marksman.

He’s had to work hard for clean looks -- about half of his shot attempts being classified as “tight” or “very tight.” On those attempts, Garland is shooting 26.4 percent from the field. He’s rarely been able to beat his defender off the dribble. On the rare occasions when Garland has created space, popping free for open looks, the teenager has failed to capitalize.

Garland is 12-of-38 (31.5 percent) on shots with a defender four feet away or more. That includes 6-of-24 (25 percent) from 3-point range. Those numbers have the Cavs believing a turnaround is on the horizon.

“He’s too good of a shooter,” said one member of the organization who works closely with Garland. “We know he can shoot. Not too concerned.”

Following his 0-fer against the Indiana Pacers a week ago, teammates and coaches urged him to keep firing. But Beilein has seen an unsure rookie since that horrible night.

“What he’s hesitant about right now is shooting a wide-open shot and playing too much off-the-dribble,” Beilein said following Thursday’s practice. “One of his real trademarks is being able to shoot a catch-and-shoot 3. He has exceptional numbers with that in practice, so that’s what he’s got to play off of. He’s learning it. We’re watching film endlessly with him on the side trying to teach him these things.”

That helps explain the off-the-ball work Garland was doing Thursday afternoon. Sexton’s rise last season coincided with the return of Kevin Love and the arrival of Brandon Knight, shifting him off the ball sporadically and keeping the defense from focusing extra attention on him. The Cavs got Sexton the ball in space, on the move and his numbers improved across the board.

Perhaps a similar adjustment could do the same for Garland.

“I think he’s going in and he’s shooting over big-time length after not really doing that since really, probably maybe ever,” Beilein said. “I mean, even in the big circuits that he plays in. And that’s a thing that he’s going to continue to learn to do, and he works at it. But it will come to him slowly. We know who he is. He’s a rookie, and his game is going to mature every day, but right now a lot of this stuff is brand new to him.”

Making things more difficult: Sources say Garland’s usual speed, quickness and athleticism isn’t all the way back. He’s still getting his legs underneath him. He continues to work his way into NBA game shape. That could help explain the issues finishing around the basket.

According to NBA.com stats, Garland is shooting 39 percent on attempts at the rim.

When asked to estimate how long it will take for Garland to return to his old form, one source said “All-Star break” while also pointing out that it could certainly be before that, especially given some of the flashes Garland continues to show, how much he cares and his dogged work ethic.

“I’m getting better every day, that’s all that matters,” Garland said recently.

Patience was one of the first messages Garland received from his teammates ahead of training camp. It’s a long season, an 82-game trek filled with ups and downs. As bad as it has been been in the first few weeks, things can change in an instant. It was about this time last year when members of the Cavaliers were annoyed with Sexton, talking privately about him not knowing how to play and wondering if his minutes were only tied to a draft slot.

Sexton eventually silenced the doubters, finished second team All-Rookie and ended up fifth in Rookie of the Year voting.

There’s no guarantee Garland will have a similar surge. Every youngster takes a different path and develops at his own pace. But if he’s looking for a track to follow, he can find it in his sidekick Sexton, the guy Garland was putting in extra time with before hitting the road.

Maybe it will be around February when Garland reminds why he was the fifth-overall pick. Perhaps it comes sooner than that. He’s 19 years old, playing the toughest position in the NBA while trying to run a team and build confidence. He’s also sharing the floor with another ball-dominant guard. It’s a lot. At this moment, it could be too much, though don’t expect anyone to admit that.

But this isn’t about 2019-20. It’s about the future. The Cavs are in it for the long haul. No matter what has happened to this point -- and it’s been unpleasant -- the organization has faith Garland will figure it out. They think improvement will show with more reps and game experience.

For them, it’s not if Garland turns the corner. It’s when.

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