Cavaliers guard Darius Garland is using the team’s first-r0und playoff loss to New York as fuel for next season, according to Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
“I’ve been watching a lot of film of it this summer. Just trying to find ways to improve for next year. But now we’ve seen the playoffs,” Garland said. “For a lot of guys, it was our first time in the playoffs, so just getting that playoff experience made us better I think and made us hungrier. Even though we had a good year, I think we can trend up another notch this year and see what’s to come.”
One thing that Garland believes is that the Cavs collectively have to be tougher and stronger in their next postseason appearance.
“We have to be more physical,” Garland said. “I think their physicality took a toll on us in that series. They beat us up. We now know how physical the game is in the playoffs and we know how fast the pace is and every possession matters. Just taking little bits and pieces of that series and trying to put it together for the regular season and then also carry that into the playoffs.”
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- Bam Adebayo believes the Heat simply wore down during their long postseason run, he told Leonard Solms in an ESPN story. “I feel like we just came up short because we had [among the most] injuries in the 2022-23 season. [Through] all those ups and downs throughout the season… I feel like fatigue had a toll,” he said of the Finals loss to the Nuggets.
- Kevin Love‘s role with the Heat could fluctuate next season, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel opines. Love could start against bigger front lines with Caleb Martin starting against small-ball lineups, provided Martin isn’t dealt. Love could also see some action as the backup center. However, Winderman notes that coach Erik Spoelstra prefers continuity during the regular season.
- Bucks guard MarJon Beauchamp had a memorable performance at the Crawsover Pro-Am event in his hometown of Seattle over the weekend, JR Radcliffe of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes. Beauchamp scored 83 points in a game at Seattle Pacific University to set an event scoring record. He’s expected to have an expanded role next season with the Bucks after playing 52 regular season games as a rookie.
U lost because the nuggets were better. End of story
Silver helping too
Or nuggets were better because they were healthy?
Nuggets have had injuries that have hurt their post season runs.
Injuries do that to teams which is why depth matters. Heat trading for Dame will impact the depth. Clippers have had this issue and lakers too. It’s why I’m not a fan of supers. They ruin teams depth. Have to strike a balance between depth and veterans and rookies.
Nuggets were really good
Heat were missing Tyler Herro.
20.1ppg/5.4rpg/4.2asp stat line on
.439/.378/.934 shooting
If you dont think missing him the the entire series hurt the Heat you’re fooling yourself.
And Oladipo. They did wear down. They still lose though.
What they really need is a backup rim protector.
The lose cause they was down two of there good players
I believe it was because Jokic is one of the best players ever, as simple as!
Orlando Robinson coming for Miami minutes
I understand experience in the playoffs definitely helps, but man if I’m a Cavs fan, I’d be severely irritated with Garland’s comments…
I mean, the common fan could tell you all those things about the playoffs. I just don’t like hearing anyone ever say they got outhustled or that the other team was tougher than they were…That isn’t a trait a team really learns, and the odds are another team is going to do the exact same thing to them this upcoming season…
Idk maybe bringing in Strus and Niang might change some things, but the Cavs already had the reputation of being a relatively “soft” team to begin with.
Hopefully, for their sake and for the sake of Cavs’ fans I’m wrong, but more often than not teams just can not and do not “become tougher.”
Definitely would be the last thing I’d want to hear my franchise point guard admitting and telling everyone…
hmmm…Didn’t Jordan talk about the Pistons “out toughing” his Bulls. Yes its a different era with different rules but teams do get tougher.
Cavs will have learned from this. Playoffs are a different gm. It’s why I see them as top 4 in East this yr. Don’t sleep on Cavs.
Heat are all about Dame. They get him. Then they are a top team.