Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson directly challenges Darius Garland ahead of playoffs

The Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t sneaking up on anyone anymore. They’re not chasing expectations in the playoffs, they’re carrying them. If the Cavs are serious about crashing the NBA’s championship party, there’s one truth they can’t avoid:

Darius Garland has to grow up, and during the Cavs’ playoff media availability, head coach Kenny Atkinson didn’t sugarcoat it.

“I had this conversation with him. I’m like, you almost have to speed up your maturity level, leadership level. You’re 25, and I need you to be 28,” Atkinson said to Garland.

That wasn’t a polite suggestion. It was a call to urgency for a point guard who the Cavs need to step up, especially when the pressure is heightened.

The moment Cleveland paired Garland with Donovan Mitchell, the clock started ticking. His learning curve? Flattened. His margin for error? Shrinking. Garland’s not just expected to compete. He’s expected to lead, dictate terms, and win.

The talent is obvious. Garland’s game is a highlight reel. He has slippery handles. His court vision is absurd. The two-time All-Star’s deep threes light up Rocket Arena like fireworks. When the ball is in his hand, Garland’s artistry has never been questioned. Unfortunately, the playoffs aren’t a talent show. They’re a test of nerve. And Garland’s nerve will be under siege from the jump.

Kenny Atkinson has pushed the Cavs and Darius Garland for this moment

Facing the Miami Heat in the first round, Garland won’t just be asked to run Cleveland’s offense. Instead, he’ll be targeted, tested, and taunted. Miami is going to rough him up for 94 feet. They’ll dare him to lose his cool, poke and prod until either Garland blinks or breaks them.

That’s why Atkinson has been so relentless with him, even behind closed doors. Small lapses in composure — an argument with a ref, a hangdog look after a missed call — aren’t just bad habits. They’re openings. Openings Miami will exploit.

“He’s been stupendous this year for the most part,” Atkinson said. “But we need him to take it even to another level.”

There is no hiding place in the playoffs. Garland’s growth will be front and center.

Garland has returned to form but didn’t radically evolve. His numbers mirror his All-Star season from 2022. After an injury-ravaged 2023, this year was about revenge, about proving he still belonged among the league’s elite. But belonging isn’t the goal anymore. Instead, conquering is.

The real question for Garland is no longer, Is he back? Has he ascended?

Throughout the regular season, Atkinson and his staff deliberately threw Garland into the fire. Every bump, every trap, every cheap shot was part of a bigger plan: make Garland uncomfortable now, so he’d be unbreakable later.

Later has arrived, and against the Heat, the Cavs need Garland to step up.

“I [need to] go out there and be myself, have a lot of confidence, go play with some physicality, go play with some toughness,” Garland admitted. “[I need to] try to be as physical as I can. Miami has always been a physical team. They like to get up in you, so try to deliver some blows back and go have fun. I mean, this is the best part of the year. It’s the most important part of the year, so just go out there, have fun, lead my guys, and go win the series.”

Garland will need more than slick dribbling and quick pull-up threes. He’ll need emotional armor. He’ll need to absorb the inevitable Heat runs, the bad whistles, the body blows — and respond with poise, not panic.

“We need [him] to be great. Not good, great,” Tristan Thompson said. “Good, and we’re going to be in a long series. Great, [we] get guys out the way early. So that’s got to be the mentality.”

It’s not just about how Garland plays when everything is flowing. It’s about how he responds when it isn’t.

The Cavs have invested everything into getting Garland ready for this moment — in the weight room, in recovery, in resilience. But the final step isn’t physical. It’s mental. If Garland stays steady and he doesn’t flinch, controlling the game at his tempo, Cleveland doesn’t just win this series. They announce themselves to the league.

“Winning the ring,“ Garland said. ”That’s the only thing that’s successful. Winning the championship, bringing one back to Cleveland. That’s the only picture I can think of right now.”

Miami is tough and battle-tested. But this version of Garland, the one with the quiet killer instinct, the calm fire, seems like he’s ready to crack the code. With Garland healthy and confident, Cleveland isn’t just dreaming about a ring. They’re coming for it.