With the Cleveland Cavaliers trailing the Indiana Pacers 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Donovan Mitchell needs some help. And Stephen A. Smith would like to see it come from the Cavs’ other All-Star guard, Darius Garland.
Following an All-Star-worthy regular season and strong start to the playoffs, Garland hasn’t played since Cleveland’s Game 2 victory over the Miami Heat in the first round. The reporting regarding the Vanderbilt product’s injury status has been relatively vague, with the Cavs officially listing him as recovering from a left toe sprain.
While Smith is sympathetic to Garland’s injury, the ESPN star also sees Cleveland’s once-promising season slipping away. And on Wednesday morning’s episode of First Take, he implored the 25-year-old to play through the pain, noting the discrepancy between the Cavs’ backcourt play and the Pacers’ thus far in this series.
“A toe injury is significant, can be very painful. I understand that. As far as I’m concerned, you gotta be damn near crippled if you can’t play,” Smith said. “You gotta find a way to get out there. Because last night, [Andrew] Nembhard and [Tyrese] Haliburton combined for 45 points, like 19 assists and one turnover. They’re getting guard play in Indiana.
“Donovan Mitchell needs help, period. Because whether it’s Ty Jerome, whether it’s [Max] Strus or somebody else, I mean, listen, they’re not point guards, OK? He needs some help in that backcourt. Now you missed four straight games, Darius Garland. I mean, damn, you got all offseason to heal. Somehow, some way. I mean, you’re on, you’re on the brink of elimination.”
To Smith’s point, Mitchell’s 48 points and nine assists in Tuesday’s Game 2 weren’t enough for the Cavs, who squandered a seven-point lead with less than 48 seconds remaining in the game. Garland’s replacement in Cleveland’s lineup, Jerome, scored just two points on 1-of-14 shooting in what was ultimately a 120-119 Pacers victory.
As for the viability of Garland potentially returning to the Cavs’ lineup for Game 3 on Friday, that remains unclear, although it’s worth noting that TNT’s Jared Greenberg reported ahead of Game 1 that the team would have shut him down for a few weeks if this was the regular season. This, however, isn’t the regular season. And as such, Smith would like to see Mitchell’s running mate play.
“You gotta get out there,” he continued. “You gotta find a way. “Limp your ass out there no matter which way you got to do it. I don’t give a damn, alright. Find a way, find a way. Pad the toe, use an extra size shoe. Do something. But you got to get out there. You got to get out there.”
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.