My favorite team in the NBA is the Cavaliers, and my favorite player to watch on the Cavs is (was?) Darius Garland. He’s a small dynamic 26 year old guard that I’ve watched grow into an All-Star and one of the pillars of his team. He is part of what was referred to as their Core Four – 4 great young-ish players locked into long-term contracts.

My wife nicknamed Darius Hopscotch because of the joy he plays with. When he’s hot he skips around the court. She also loves how his tied-up hair bounces around like a little girl. The fans love him, and I’m at the front of that line.

One of my least favorite players in the NBA is James Harden. I respect and admire his skills, I believe he’s almost impossible to stop, but at the same time I see and agree with most of the criticisms – how he jumps team to team, his numbers go down in the playoffs, his defense is optional, he’s all about the money and parties.

So I have thoughts.

I think this trade helps the Cavs. That’s not the popular opinion at the moment. I’ve seen draft grades of A- for Clippers, D- for Cavs. I’ve watched the pundits say the Clippers got a 10-year younger All-Star guard and a draft pick for a 36 year old PITA. I even read that the Cavs have fallen into the James Harden trap.

But basketball is not about who you like, or who sells the most jersey’s, or who dates the hottest ladies. That’s all secondary. Winning is the thing. Winning the big games in the playoffs is the reason the game is played.

As a lifelong Cavs fan I used to just want to be good. To just get to the playoffs most years seemed something to be proud of. We called our own team The Cadavers. Then Lebron showed up. Now you have the best player, you should win the trophy, right? ….. nope. You need a great team. Not a good team, not a sometimes great team with an always great player. That will get you far and sell lots of tickets.

To win it all in the NBA you need an always great team with at least 1 if not 2 always great players. Guys that there’s no answer for. There’s no defense to stop them. It’s who can score more, and if you can’t stop us, guess who wins.

That’s why I’d trade Darius Garland, my favorite player, for James Harden, my least favorite player.

Darius is a 190 pound defensive liability. So much so that when the game gets tight in the 4th quarter, if he’s in the game at all, he’s attacked on defense. Every single play tries to exploit him as he’s the smallest on the court at 6’1.

There is nowhere to hide him except on the bench. He can easily be posted up for 2 or shot over for 3. Now…. if he was a scoring maestro maybe this could be excused, as he trades 3’s for 2’s, but see here’s the thing. Darius’ offensive game relies on cutting, floaters, step backs and playing loose. He’s always had a lot of turnovers. When the game gets tight in the 4th quarter, especially in the playoffs, his game falters. His turnovers stay but his shot and his ability to get in the lane get altered by the locked in defense.

The Cavs are at the level where they need people to end important games with hot streaks and lock down defense. Darius has rarely done that. Usually Spida, Mobley, Merrill, Tomlin, even Jared Allen can get hot in the 4th and put the game away. Usually Mobley and now Jalen Tyson make the big defensive stop. Darius, when he’s healthy enough to play, watches most important 4th quarters from the bench, or his +/- falls through the floor.

On the other hand, James Harden is also known for struggling in the playoffs. But it’s not because he’s undersized or can’t get his offensive game started. I don’t know exactly why he has struggled in the past, but I know he’s almost impossible to stop and he’s much bigger than Darius, so he won’t be exploited based on size.

I know when you need a bucket, he can get one. When you need points with no clock left, he can get to the line and sink the free throws better than anyone else in the league.

His defense? It comes and goes, but it’s not as bad as advertised. He can actually shut people down occasionally. The Cavs did also trade for 2 guards on the Kings known for tenacious D, so that will help the back court overall.

This pickup reminds me of when the Cavs got J.R. Smith in 2015. A big, bold scoring guard that wasn’t afraid of anything. To get him and Shumpert they moved out Dion Waiters (remember him?). J.R. “Swish” became a perfect #2 to Lebron and they beat the 73-9 Warriors to win it all in 2016.

I also think this trade helps the Clippers. A win-win trade, which isn’t as rare in the NBA as you might think. Both teams are in different places, moving different directions, in different conferences, etc.. Rosters are constructed very differently. Cavs need a big guard closer. Baggage and age allowed, just be good when called. Just be ready to stare down the Celtics or the Knicks and just beat those punks. Cold blooded vets are needed.

The Clippers are rebuilding, or at least unsure where they are going other than saving money and getting younger. Garland and Harden make the same this year, but Harden will want more going forward as a veteran legend. The Cavs are probably not his last team, but perhaps his last shot at a Title.

Darius is a young, exciting all-star guard who’s dad was a Clipper. He should get even more popular in LA. and they have a couple more years on his current deal to assess his fit.

I can imagine this Cavs team making a move in the wide open East this year, with their ‘core 4’ upgraded in the short term. Sure good teams found a way to stop Spida Mitchell from beating them alone but can they stop him and Harden, along with the improved wing defense of Keon, Dennis & Jalen?

Also the Cavs have the best alternate uni’s this year with the creamsicle colored city editions. So this could be their year!