5th pick: Darius Garland
The shoes to fill in Cleveland are massive. And when you’re a point guard in the NBA, your job is a multitasking grind. Add that up, and you have a degree of inherent difficulty working to blockade any strides toward greatness. But Garland has done a great job at the point so far for the Cavaliers, learning to run the offense while keeping the tempo flowing. Of course, the position isn’t really built for 30-point nights—which is a big part of judging greatness—but this era of the NBA also doesn’t negate a specific position’s scoring ability.
Early Grade: B
Sekou Doumbouya :: Romeo Langford :: Tyler Herro :: P.J. Washington :: Cam Johnson :: Cam Reddish :: Rui Hachimura :: Jaxson Hayes :: Coby White :: Jarrett Culver :: Darius Garland :: De’Andre Hunter :: R.J. Barrett :: Ja Morant :: Zion Williamson