Darius Garland taking steps toward his Clippers debut
INGLEWOOD — The anticipation is high for Darius Garland’s Clippers debut and rising with each passing practice day. When he plays in a game remains uncertain, but it’s getting closer.
The two-time All-Star point guard took part in a 5-on-5 scrimmage on Tuesday but will not play on Thursday night when the Clippers host the Minnesota Timberwolves. Instead, Garland is expected to participate in another scrimmage before the game, taking another step in his comeback from toe issues.
Garland, 26, has not played since being acquired by the Clippers in the trade that sent James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has not played since Jan. 14 because of a toe sprain on his right foot, which caused him to be sidelined for longer than expected.
The concern lately has centered on Garland’s surgically repaired left big toe, which has delayed his debut until March because the Clippers want him to be fully over the toe injury before he suits up.
This was the same toe that gave Garland trouble during last year’s playoffs, forcing him to miss four games.
While Garland said after the trade, he was ready to “hoop,” the medical staff wants him to be fully healthy and not risk further injury before they give him the green light, according to Coach Tyronn Lue.
“He’s looked great. He looked really good. Moving, going both ways, had a great pace,” Lue said. “Of course, the shot-making is great, but as far as movement, he looked really good.”
Still, Lue said, he “needs to keep checking the boxes and keep doing the work,” before he plays.
“We can’t wait. We’re doing good, we’ve shown some good stuff over the last two (games), but it’s also been tough for us,” veteran forward Nicolas Batum said. “But that kinda showed us we need him. We can’t wait to have him back on the court with us.”
The Clippers (27-30) have struggled to find consistency in their offense without a dynamic ball handler; Garland needs to step up if the team is serious about making a playoff run. Before the toe issues arose, he was averaging 18 points and 6.9 assists this season, while shooting 45.1% from the field and 36% from 3-point range.
Kris Dunn is perhaps more excited about working with Garland than any other player. Since Harden left, the shooting guard has had to handle the ball more often, sometimes at the expense of his shooting.
He has not attempted a 3-point shot over the past 104 minutes, and has taken just 17 long-range shots in February, making seven. Dunn attributed his lack of long-range shooting to “the way the flow of the games” have gone.
“I don’t put it to one specific thing,” he said. “I mean, I could say something today and tomorrow I could shoot nine of ’em, so I know the game’s just going to come. Sometimes the games just flow like that, and I don’t really worry about it.”
Lue said that without a legitimate point guard, Dunn had to be more of a screen setter, making the right plays and looking to assist. His assists jumped from 3.5 to 5.5 per game after Harden left.
“He’s more of the playmaker after the play, which has been good for us, but he hasn’t been a recipient of open catch-and-shoot 3’s that something else generates,” Lue said. “So, that’s what we’re kind of missing.”
Which all leads back to Garland.
“He’s been great on the court, off the court,” Dunn said. “His personality is really high. It gels with the team, and we can’t wait for him to get out there.”
TIMBERWOLVES AT CLIPPERS
When: Thursday, 7 p.m.
Where: Intuit Dome
TV/Radio: Prime Video, 570 AM, 1330 AM