Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland is expected to miss several weeks after fracturing his jaw in Thursday’s game against the Boston Celtics, according to Shams Charania. Garland collided with Kristaps Porzingis and sustained the injury, although he later did return to the game.
Cleveland Cavaliers star guard Darius Garland has sustained a fractured jaw and is expected to miss several weeks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Garland suffered an injury to the head area in a collision with Kristaps Porzingis on Thursday night in Boston. pic.twitter.com/gLRSYDRZXk
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 15, 2023
This is rough news for the Cavaliers, who look to be in a major fight in the Eastern Conference when it comes to the playoff picture. The Cavs are in the jumble as part of a four-team contingent with 13 wins as of this writing. There are currently nine teams in the East with at least 13 wins, and only six guaranteed playoff spots.
Garland hasn’t quite taken the next step since becoming an All-Star in 2021-22, and his production has taken a bit of a dip this season. He’s not shooting the ball particularly well from deep, hitting just 34.6% of his attempts. His defense remains solid, but he hasn’t quite become the second star to Donovan Mitchell the Cavaliers hoped he would be.
From a fantasy/DFS standpoint, look for Caris LeVert to take on a bigger role as a ball handler in this offense. Mitchell might serve as the hybrid point guard but LeVert seems to be in line for more minutes and potentially a starting role.