All-Star Darius Garland on Steph Curry comparisons & Cavs surprising surge | The Draymond Green Show

What's up everybody? It's Draymond Green. Make sure you subscribe to the Volumes YouTube channel below so you don't miss any more of this great content going forward. As we spoke about earlier on the show, excited to welcome first-time All-Star from Gary, Indiana, which most of y'all don't actually know. And I know that obviously due to our relationship, but also because I had a teammate a college teammate from Gary, Indiana, and Brandon Dawson, who swears up and down by Gary, Indiana, like it's like Saginaw, Michigan or something. I don't know why he swear up and down about it like that. No, but honestly, from Gary, Indiana, moved to Tennessee in the 6th grade, if I'm not mistaken. Right, DG? Yeah.

7th, 7th.

7th grade. 7th grade. And I actually heard, well, first off, let me properly introduce him. Like I said, first-time All-Star, face of the Cleveland Cavaliers organization, Darius Garland. Welcome to the show, my brother.

Appreciate you, Brodie.

And I appreciate you coming on. But I do want to hear a little more about that because I actually had heard that you and your family relocated from Gary, Indiana to Tennessee for your basketball?

I mean, it wasn't all about basketball. Gary, I mean, as a lot of people know, it's a tough place to come up. And then like, it wasn't the same Gary that my parents grew up in. So they wanted a better life for me. So the school systems weren't the same. So they wanted me to get a better education. And yeah, I mean, we just made a leap of faith and just moved to Nashville, packed up everything and just moved down there just to get a better education, just to make my life better. And hey, I mean, it's doing well so far.

Nah, it definitely paid off. And you, I also heard you joined the varsity team in 8th grade?

Yeah, 8th grade.

How much did you play once you joined the varsity team? Like that 8th grade year, did you play a lot or not much?

I played 2 games.

Okay.

The varsity coach, he was like kind of nervous 'cause I was smaller than everybody. My dad didn't think I was ready physically to be playing against all the guys. So I mean, they held me back for a long time and then we got to state. So we in like semifinals of state. So I played that game against our rival. Answorth. And then I played in a semi-state against Father Ryan. That was the only two games that I played for varsity my eighth grade year.

And the second game that you played, did y'all lose that game and were out of the tournament or something? Or the season just kept progressing and they stopped playing you? How did that work?

Nah, yeah, we lost. We lost.

Okay.

Yeah, the season was over with.

Okay, okay. And then your freshman season, you go on to lead the team to a championship?

Yeah, freshman year. State championship game was crazy actually. We was down by 20 going to half and came back, rallied on and won my first state championship.

Yeah. I won 2.

I won 4, might as well, you know.

You won 4 state championships?

Yeah, I won 4 in a row.

Wow, that's impressive. I don't know if that makes you that good or is basketball that bad in Tennessee. We gotta find that out. We got teammates that play basketball played basketball in Tennessee? I have a teammate that played basketball in Tennessee?

James.

Oh, of course. Duh, Bozo. Yeah, of course he did. That's right.

Yeah.

Yeah. Okay. Well, yeah, I mean, he ain't off the hook either. He not off the hook either. And you were 3-time Tennessee Mr. Basketball. You go on in 2018 to win a National Player of the Year. And then you go on to play one season at Vanderbilt. Now, interesting enough, you played one season, but not really. Talk, walk me through your one season you played at Vanderbilt.

So, I mean, we got on campus around August, went in early for summer classes, went through that whole ordeal. And then we get towards the season. So first couple games was smooth, started out well, played against USC. That was really good. They had Kevin Porter.

I was at that game, by the way. I came to that game.

For sure.

And sat on the baseline. And while I was at the, I remember that game.

Yeah. So that was a good one. And I think that was the game that really put me on the map, to be honest with you.

Absolutely.

And then we go home, play some non-conference games, and we play against Kent State, actually from Ohio. And first 2, 3 minutes in the game, I tore my meniscus. And that was the 5th game of my college career. Yeah, went back in the back. They told me, "You gotta get surgery for my meniscus." And after that, I just talked to my parents and like, "It's a wrap. Let's get the process going. I wanna achieve my dreams. Let's get this knee right and achieve my dreams to just enter the draft." So, I mean, we did that and the rest was history after that one.

And so you go on at that point, how long between when you decide or when they say you have to get knee surgery and then you make that decision with your parents, how long was it from there until you decided that you were gonna sign with Klutch and actually start your draft process?

So when I got hurt, I told my parents from the jump, like, I wanna enter the draft. I don't wanna go back. So then I started doing some rehab on my own, just staying in touch with Rich and Luke and a couple other agencies. I moved to Atlanta to start my rehab in like February. So it was probably a month or two right after I got hurt that I signed with Klutch and finally made my decision. And that's when everything just started ramping up from rehab standpoint, getting me back on the court and all the draft process started then.

And was there anything— so that happens, you start your rehab, you sign with Klutch. Did Klutch do anything differently during your draft process than they do in a normal draft process? Because obviously you did end up going the 5th pick regardless of only playing what, 5 games or 4 and a half games in your freshman, in your only season at Vanderbilt. Did Klutch do anything differently to assure that you would end up still as high pick as you was gonna be projected and —regardless of what your injury status was?

No, not really. I mean, we just played our cards right, really. I mean, we didn't do anything. Teams came and watched me work out. I did my workouts and I mean, I was really just shooting the ball, really. Shooting, shooting a lot of floaters, showing my handle. And that was it. I mean, it wasn't really too much going into the workouts. It was just, "We gonna do this for about 15, 20 minutes and we gonna get up outta here." Oh, that's great.

'Cause I, when I saw you play, especially when I saw that game at USC, I'm like, "Now 100%, this dude gotta be the top point guard in the country." But then when you go down with the knee injury, obviously you're 6'2" on a good day. I'll give you 6'2" on a good day. I appreciate it. I was a little worried because I'm like, "Ah, now he's coming off the knee injury." How does that affect you? And then to see that you still go 5th overall, I thought that was exciting, but I was also a bit confused. And the reason I was confused is because the Cavaliers had drafted you. And if I'm not mistaken, that year, right before that, they had drafted Collin Sexton with the 8th pick, who was also a point guard, highly touted point guard coming outta Alabama. And then they drafted you right after. And the reason I was confused is because it was two smaller guards. And it's like, okay, you know, sometimes you make that decision of, oh, this guy is gonna be a 2. And that's totally fine. But you know, Collin is what, 6'3" on a good day, you know? And so I wondered how that would work with them drafting two guards. What were they saying to you once they drafted you about already had, about them had just drafted a point guard the year before?

That's when Dame and CJ, that's when they had their crazy run. So they was just pitching that to us. We can be the next Dame and CJ. I can play off the ball a little bit. I could play on the ball. We could just mix it up and we just always have to be aggressive. We gotta stay in attack mode. So, I mean, I was going with it. I mean, Bull is still my guy. That's one of my best friends on the team. So I was rocking with it. And I mean, it just fell into place like that.

That's great. And I think y'all having that bond definitely helps because there has been times where like people haven't, hasn't felt like the fit was working. They felt, you know, you've had people saying they felt like the Cavs needed to move on from him, that he was standing in your way. You've had opposing players on other teams saying that, you know, I saw the report saying that his own teammates didn't like playing with him and all of these different things. And the reality is, I felt like no matter what has happened, regardless of other players saying that, regardless of what the fit may be, you've always shown that support. For him regardless of what that situation has been. Why is that?

I mean, that's my brother. I've known Collin since I was a junior in high school. So me getting drafted, it was like, I got a big brother. He's been in this league longer than me. He can show me some of the ropes. So I always took that. And then just our bond on the court. Like people thought that we were feuding because we was trying to battle for the same position, but we really weren't. Like we was just trying to figure everything out. I was young, he was young. So it was just trying to figure out how this whole thing was gonna work. And that's all it was. And people just took it out of proportion thinking that we were feuding about getting a position when we weren't.

And I think, you know, with the year that you're having, obviously becoming an All-Star and, you know, not only the year that you're having individually, but also the year that the team is having, And with what we will discuss in a minute, it's now natural that, you know, once he comes back from his injury, that he'll probably take on the 6th man role, which I think is incredible. When you have a team like you guys have, and very young by the way, which is exciting, which is probably— The fact that you guys are young is probably more exciting than the fact that y'all are having a great year because you can't help but to look ahead to the future and think what this could be if everything pans out. Obviously everyone needs to stay healthy, but I think he naturally, and coming, you know, and this is a contract year for him and you know, things will be decided. But if he was to return to the Cavs, he may naturally end up as the sixth man. And to have that player, a player of Collin's caliber coming off the bench, I think that does wonders for your team. How do you feel about that and where he may fall in the rotation, whether he returns this year or next year?

Yeah, I think Colin will fit in perfectly with us at any position. I mean, he comes in and he's going to get it regardless. So I mean, just having his tenacity, his intensity, his scoring ability, and, just like, I don't care mindset. I mean, I think anybody would just love to have Bull in. I know our organization would too.

That's beautiful. Beginning of this year, obviously Cavs have struggled since LeBron left. There's no surprise there. And we come into this season and the casinos have you guys projected to win 27 games. Now you've already won 33 and we probably still got about 30 games left in the season or somewhere around there. And you've already won 33. What do you think has allowed you guys to be as good as y'all have been and so much better than what people expected? And second part of this question, did y'all as an organization, as a group, expect to be this good or did y'all kind of surprise yourselves as well?

I think coming into training camp, well, I had a feeling coming into training camp that we were gonna be really good. Just adding Evan, another 7-footer, adding Laurie, another 7-footer that can stretch the floor. And then just seeing what we were doing in training camp. I mean, I really liked our team coming in. And I mean, Coach Bickerstaff, JB, he just has everybody locked in right now. Defensive-wise, I mean, that's our whole thing, defense. So when we getting stops and just locked in on taking that one-on-one challenge, I mean, I think we're really tough to beat. So just having that mindset of just helping the next person, And then just having that one-on-one mentality, like you at the park in the old days and it's a one-on-one battle that you gotta go against. Like, I think that we really up there and we, I know we surprised a lot of people and I think we one of the best teams in the league, bro, to be honest with you. For real.

I love, I absolutely love the confidence. And you spoke about Evan Mobley. And him coming in and I think he's had an amazing rookie season. To be honest with you, I watch college basketball and I kind of keep up with the draft and this guy's projected here. And I try to watch all of these guys coming into the league. Number one, just because I love basketball. Number two, you better know who's coming in behind you and who's coming at your neck and who's coming for your spot.

Right.

You just gotta understand that in being in this league. And if you don't, Before you know it, somebody be taking your spot and you ain't even see them coming. But in watching last season, I was a big Evan Mobley fan coming out. And the reason I was such a big Evan Mobley fan is because you'd see at times when he'd get the ball, how skilled he was and how much he can do, but didn't always get the ball. And yet no matter what, his impact would still be all over the game. I was watching one game last year and a guy caught the ball in the corner. Draymond Green. Wide open. And Evan was standing underneath the basket, like all the way underneath the basket. The guy caught the ball and he's a shooter. So, you know, a shooter catch a corner 3, he lock and loaded, it's going up. No thought, no delay, like it's going up. And the guy caught the ball and he went to locked it in and went to shoot and Mobley blocked the shot. And he was standing under the rim when the guy caught the ball. And I couldn't believe it. And I called one of our guys from our front office. I said, Evan Mobley, is incredible. I personally think he's gonna be the best player in this draft. And so, you know, he's having a great year and saying all that, he's having an incredible year. What impact do you think he's had on y'all team on both ends of the floor?

Yeah, Evan is very impactful. To be honest with you, we changed our whole defense around him and Jared. Just them two just protecting the paint. And then when Jared goes to block shots, Evan's right there. It's just two 7-footers just sitting right there. So, uh, I mean, even if Evan's not having a good game offensively, he's going to change the whole dynamic on the defensive end. Um, he can switch 1 through 5, move his feet, contest a lot of jump shots from guards. Um, he likes to be physical in the post. He likes to bang in the post offensively as well. So, I mean, just his impact and his presence just makes everything totally different on both sides of the floor, to be honest with you, bro.

And a lot of you, speaking of Jared Allen, a lot of people thought that he should have been an All-Star right alongside you, which I agree with the year that he's having, with the year that y'all are having. Y'all are a game and a half outta first place in the East. How y'all didn't get two All-Stars? Quite frankly, I think it's a reputation thing because no one expected y'all to be one and a half games outta the East, this close to the All-Star break, first place in the East, this close to the All-Star break. So I think it's a reputation thing more so than his production. But I agree with a lot of people. I thought he should have been an All-Star, but you know, Mobley, Jared Allen, those are two traditional big men. How has that worked to y'all benefit? Because you go two traditional big men nowadays and most teams get ran out the gym.

Yeah.

Yeah. Y'all are having this season. What has allowed y'all to have this type of season with playing two traditional big men as opposed to how the game is played by most teams today?

They like playing with each other. Like, I mean, they both run the floor. I mean, they just work really well with each other. A lot of teams are starting to like front the post a lot more, so.

Mm-hmm.

Evan is a really good passer, which is really crazy at 7 foot. So like Evan, he'd get it high-low action, get in the mid-range area and just throw the lob up to JA and then like it's an easy 2 points. And it's the same way with Jared and Evan. Just Jared come to the high post and Evan just get an easy dunk. So it's just like them just working with each other, like having fun with it. Like they just play with the game a lot. —like a lot of ball screen action with me. And now it's like a lot of 4-5 ball screen action. When Evan has the ball in his hand, he comes off, he got the mid-range shot, or he just throw the lob to Jay. So it's just them having that good connection, and it's growing every day. Like, you can see it in practice, you see it in games. So— and they just have fun with each other, bro. It's— I mean, it's really unique to see, like you said, just two traditional bigs. Mm-hmm. But I mean, it's working hand in hand right now.

No doubt. You know, the funny thing about this league, it's a very copycat league. And a part of the reason the true traditional big man has gone away is because we started winning championships and then everyone just copies that. And so it'll be interesting to see as you guys continue to progress and as you guys continue to grow based on the success that y'all have, if y'all have a ton of success, if y'all are possibly are able to win a championship one day. It'll be interesting to see if everyone will see that lineup and start to move back towards the two traditional big men. Because the NBA goes in waves. Like I said, it's copycat. It goes in waves. Someone has success with this and everyone think they need to move towards that. So I'm interested to see how that plays out over these next couple years. But, and speaking of the next couple years, as I said earlier, you guys are a game and a half outta first place. What do you think the ceiling is for this team?

Sky's the limit. We're super young, really talented. You just added my man, Caris LeVert, a nice 2-guard that can really score the ball. And I mean, another thing, we play defense. Like we like to play defense. Absolutely. I mean, when we just gritty and playing with that toughness, I mean, we can go all the way in my opinion.

And a lot of people think, a lot of people say, I've read some of the things people say, they're like, oh, well, you know, they're having a good regular season, but they won't be able to compete in the playoffs because they're so young. What do you have to say to that?

I heard this for my last 3 years. We're young, we're young. I'm tired of hearing that excuse. I'm tired of hearing people just saying that we're too young. I mean, we play together. We play basketball together as a team. And I think that's gonna take us further than a lot of people expect us to go. 'Cause we play together, we play on both ends of the floor, and we play hard. Like, it's not a lot of teams that's just gonna outcompete us. And that's what we go by as well. JB always on us about toughness and outworking our opponents. So when we outworking people, playing with that toughness, playing with that grit, we really hard to beat.

Nah, for sure. And I, you guys made a trade the other day. No surprise to anyone as we all know the news, but I have some thoughts on that trade. But before I wanna hear your thoughts on the trade and what I want to hear on your thoughts, because what that trade said, that trade said a lot to me. That trade said, like, y'all front office, Kobe Altman, the GM, y'all front office isn't just seeing this like, "Oh, you know, we got a good young team. We can build this thing over the next several amount of years or whatever." You going in for a piece like Caris LeVert, that mean you're trying to plug holes that you may feel you have right now, which means— you think you can win right now. And, you know, and bringing on a guy like Karris, and I know you just briefly spoke on his shot-making ability, and another guy who can handle the ball. I personally think it's a great move because he can take you off the ball and he knows how to make plays. And now you can kind of go into, you know, catch-and-shoot mode more often than you get the opportunity to do. What do you feel like this trade opens up for y'all in bringing Caris on?

I mean, just bringing another guy that can be dynamic on the ball. He can go get his whenever. And then it just makes us longer defensive, to be honest with you. I mean, Caris, he's legit 6'6", really athletic. I mean, like you said, just filling the holes so we can make that next step to being successful and getting more wins, getting more playoff appearances. So, I mean, that's our whole goal. I mean, I've been trying to tell Kobe that for the last 3 years, even though he thinks so, last 2. But I'm telling him I wanna win. So just bringing Karris on, I mean, We really think that we have a chance in our locker room and our front office really believes in it too. So I'm super excited about it.

That's incredible. I'm excited for you. And speaking of Karris coming on and you getting off the ball, a lot of people compare your game to Steph, obviously with the tight handle, with the shot, but also having that float game. You know, you see a lot of guys, they can play on one level. Some guys can play on two levels, but not many guys can play on three and four different levels, whether that's, whether that's shooting the 3-ball, whether that's a couple steps in front of the 3, shooting the mid-range, the flow game, or getting to the cup and finishes. You're actually one of those guys who can play at all the different levels, i.e., Steph Curry. And you get that comparison a lot. Was Steph someone that you kind of modeled your game after and watching him as you come up playing the game? Or is it just coincidentally that that's the path that your game is going on?

Nah, I watched Steph a lot growing up. Steph was definitely one of my favorite players growing up. I mean, Steph changed the game for all of us. Shooting the 4-pointers, well, not even a 4-pointer, but we call it 4-pointers. I mean, shooting a deep ball and like you said, playing 3 different phases of the court. So Steph was definitely one of the guys that I watched a lot. Kyrie is another guy that I watch a lot. Dame. And I go back to Steve Nash. I like Steve Nash a lot. I like Baron Davis, just his creativity. I mean, it's a lot of guys that I watch and study, but I just wanna be the best version of me, to be honest with you. I mean, I'm an All-Star now, so I just wanna be like me. I just wanna do the things that I wanna do. Mm-hmm. And then just try to get better at it. I wanna be at the top just like y'all. So I'm working towards that.

You heard it. I'm an all-star now. Don't skip over that part. I'm an all-star now. Love to hear it. But in that same light, and guys who mentor— or possibly mentorship, and I think you just had a great one in Ricky Rubio. Did you feel like, because you and Ricky Rubio was playing well and I mean there were lineups, I think one of y'all best lineups this year was with y'all two on the court together. What did you learn from Ricky Rubio? Did he help you out a lot? Obviously has a ton of experience and not just in the NBA, he has a ton of experience playing in Spain, playing for Spain as far as Olympics and World Cups and you know, world basketball goals. Very, very, very smart player. Did you find playing with Ricky Rubio beneficial for your growth?

Yeah, for sure. Ricky taught me a lot. To be honest with you, Ricky was the first person that really got on me about leadership this year. And that really made me turn like the next page, I believe. Ricky was just on me all the time, just about being aggressive, keeping everybody engaged, and then just having that killer mindset. Like, this is your team. Like, this is all yours. So Ricky, it was just how he went about his day and the consistency that he put in and everything to do with his body, just staying healthy and just bringing that attitude to the game. I mean, like, Ricky was amazing for me, to be honest with you, bro. Yeah. Ricky changed a lot.

That's incredible. And it looked like that. And I think, you know, it helps when you have a young team, especially a young point guard like yourself who does not have much experience. I've seen over the course of time, like, you know, a team bringing a veteran point guard, like, you're not coming to take the spot. Like, that's not happening. But you come and bring that mentorship. And I just watch him from afar. I thought that that was a big help for you. 'Cause you could just see certain changes that you've made. Your decision-making has gone up another couple notches. Your playmaking, like your shot-making. But all of those things go hand in hand. You know, like it's taking the right shots, you know, it's seeing the floor differently. And obviously you've always had court vision, but all of those things has taken a step up. So it was great to see them bring a guy in that can help the growth. And what, like, I hate nothing more than a team having all young guys. Like, we're gonna, like, who's there to teach that young guy what needs to be done?

Right.

Or you just think he's gonna figure it out on his own. Like, yeah, there's some things that you are going to figure out on your own just by playing. And like, you learn and you see those things, but there's other things that you can see it a million times and you're not gonna understand it until someone can help you understand it. And I think when you have veterans, it's always better to get certain things from a veteran player than it is from a coach. Because you just, you just take it in differently. You know? And so I thought that was huge. And now having a Rajon Rondo, who in my mind is top 5 smartest guys in the NBA. Have you saw any benefit in having Rondo around? Yeah.

Yeah. Literally the second day I met Doe, I'm on the phone with my pops. I'm on the phone with my dad. And we are on a bus on the way to SAC. We're leaving y'all on the way to SAC. I'm like, I'm talking to my dad and I just hear somebody in the back, "DG!" He just screamed my name. I'm like, "What?" I just instantly hung up. I'm like, "Dad, I'll call you right back. Hold on." Doe called me, he like, "Come back here and watch this film." So he watched the whole film from a Sacramento game. So I'm like, nobody never did that with me, literally. Like, you the first, I told him, I said, "You the first person that ever caught me in the back of the bus and watched a full game with me." Like, and that meant a lot to me. That was the second day I met him. So that connection's been there. That's crazy. He's teaching me a lot. I come pick his brain, like, during timeouts to see what he sees on the floor, and I'm telling him what I see. And I mean, he's a master in the pick and roll, and that's all we run nowadays. So just trying to see, like, different spots and different reads and where people want the ball at. So I mean, he's been a huge help for me as well, for sure.

That's beautiful. And honestly, them bringing in Rondo, obviously to help, you know, take on the backup point guard responsibility. But it also, it really shows their commitment to you as their franchise player, as their point guard, because they keep surrounding you with guys that they know that, that they know are smart, that they know truly understands this game. And most importantly, are leaders and can help teach.

Right.

And it's a beautiful thing that they've done. I am excited about it. And before I let you go, 'cause I don't wanna take up much more of your time, before I let you go, I need you to tell me, I need you to tell the world what you told me the other day when I called you about this trade. I need you to share this with the world so they can hear it here first.

Um, what did I say?

Okay, so clearly he does not believe what he said.

I definitely believe what I said. I definitely believe what I said.

Okay, so, This is my little brother. We've continued to build that relationship over these years. And I don't take those relationships for granted. You know, when you had an opportunity to build with a young guy like DG, or younger guys in this league, like you have to do that because the reality is you owe it to the game. And Pete Myers told me this years ago, like you owe it to the game to give back to the game. You know, like, You owe it to the game to leave this game in a better place than it was when you found it. And the only way to do that is to give game to the young guys. And so I take these relationships serious. And when they do well or when good things happen around them, I get excited as hell, like it's happening to me. So the trade happens the other day, I called DG, I'm like, yo, I like that trade for y'all. And DG like, man, "I like that trade a lot. Like that trade makes us a lot better." Da da da. "I wouldn't be shocked. Like Warriors-Cavs in the finals." That's what DG told me.

Instead.

Now, quite frankly, everyone knows my track record with the Cavs in the finals. There's not many people that can actually get me to root for the Cavaliers organization because like, We know the history. Like, why would I root for them? It just don't make sense. Like, we know the history of that. I cannot root for the Cavs yet. My love for DG, my little bro, I do root for the Cavs now. So take that to the bank with y'all. I root for the Cavs now because I like to see DG do well. Not because I love the Cavs organization, because y'all still stole a fucking championship from me.

So—

It is what it is, but no, I'm definitely rooting for y'all. I wanna see you do, continue to do well. And most importantly, wanna see, you know, your team continue to do well because that'll only help your trajectory, my brother. So I'm rooting for y'all. I hope to see y'all in the finals as I do believe that we'll be there. I do hope to see y'all there and kick Cleveland ass again. DG, much love, bro, man. I appreciate you coming on, man.

Thank you, bro. Appreciate you.