Prospect Profile: Darius Garland



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

PLAYER SNAPSHOT Height: 6-3

6-3 Weight: 175

175 Position: PG

PG College: Vanderbilt

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.