Kendrick Perkins called for Darius Garland after the Cavaliers playoff exit, but the young All-Star appears to have been secretly injured.
Darius Garland hoped to have a major impact on the Cleveland Cavaliers playoffs this year. But things didn’t pan out like that for him or the Cavaliers.
Despite being the first species in the East with three All-Stars, the Cavaliers lost to the Indiana Pacers in the second round.
Darius Garland didn’t play particularly well, averaging just 14.0 points, 4.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds. And by Game 3 he was injured and locked him out of the rest of the series.
Garland spoke about how the injury after the playoffs affected his performance. However, Kendrick Perkins was extremely vocal in criticizing Garland for not playing well.
Shortly after the Cavaliers’ playoff exit, Kendrick Perkins criticized Darius Garland and demanded more from him in the future.
Perkins said: “Darius Garland hit the weightroom this offseason, getting stronger and mentally tough. I’m extremely disappointed with the youngsters this postseason.”
But as we learned more about the situation, it appears Perkins was too harsh and rushed in his criticism of the All-Star.
Shams Charania reported yesterday that Darius Garland had to undergo toe surgery to deal with the injury, and it was quite serious enough to be forced to miss the start of the 2025-26 NBA season.
Obviously, Perkins had no idea about the extent of Garland’s injuries. However, the fact that he targeted his mental toughness and conditioning to criticize him shows that his injury is something he never considered.
The fact that Garland played with the severe pain of toe injuries is extremely courageous. And for Perkins as a basketball analyst, not doing his due diligence before he gives his opinion is the best look.
The former NBA champion has a history of making bold and provocative comments when covering the NBA.
Hopefully Perkins apologizes to Garland like he did when he made a personal comment about Anthony Edwards.
For now, Garland will focus on his recovery and organize his future with the Cavaliers. There were rumours that Garland and the Cavaliers would probably say goodbye.
That would be a big story considering how strong performer Garland has become in Cleveland. But his top priority is to make a full recovery and return to the basketball court.
