Garland picked up the injury on March 23 against the Jazz and played through it before ultimately missing time. He missed four of the Cavs’ final seven games of the regular season and Games 1 and 2 of the first-round playoff series with Indiana, re-aggravating the injury in the process. If Ty Jerome re-signs with Cleveland this offseason, he’s the guy most likely to replace Garland in the starting five. Donovan Mitchell’s usage rate spiked when Garland sat and he’d appear to be in line for some big fantasy lines early in the season while Garland is sidelined.

On a night when the Cavaliers needed Garland to be his best, the point guard could not rise to the challenge. Not only did he miss all six of his three-point attempts, but Garland was also responsible for five turnovers. His toe injury suffered during the first round did Garland no favors, but this was a disappointing way for him to end the 2024-25 season. While having a Yahoo! ADP outside the top-50, the Cavaliers’ point guard finished within that threshold in eight- and nine-cat formats. Playing alongside Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley may limit his ceiling, but Garland’s fantasy floor is relatively safe.

It didn’t have much of an impact on the final score, but Garland was much better in the second half. He had 12 points in the third quarter alone before sitting out the entire fourth quarter. At that point, the score was simply too lopsided for Garland to continue. Still, it was good to see him have a productive night after he struggled in Game 3 and missed Games 1 and 2. With Donovan Mitchell (ankle) set to have an MRI on Monday, a lot of responsibility may fall on Garland’s shoulders to keep Cleveland’s season alive in Game 5 on Tuesday.

Friday’s game was Garland’s first since Game 2 of the Cavaliers’ first-round series against the Heat. He did look rusty, but the more concerning moment occurred during the third quarter. Garland appeared to have tweaked the toe injury that sidelined him for four games, but he was able to return later in the contest. Cleveland holding onto its gaudy lead ensured that Garland would not be extended too far in his first game back from injury. He’ll now rest up for Game 4 on Sunday night.