Donovan Mitchell has defended his teammate Darius Garland over social media criticisms from fans.
The Cavs guard is quite active on his social media accounts and he hasn’t been liking the negativity surrounding Garland.
“I’m on social media and I feel like people aren’t giving him the benefit of the doubt,” Mitchell told Cleveland.com. “I want to speak on that because I think it’s bullsh*t. At the end of the day, he is a kid that has proven himself, not only to the Cleveland fan base but this league as well. They’re ready to rag on a kid for, what, one half of a season? I think that is B.S. I’ve been waiting to say that.”
Mitchell wasn’t done.
“He’s continuing to find his way. It’s been two months and he’s slowly getting back to it,” Mitchell added. “At the end of the day, he is going to be there for us. Understanding that come playoffs, come whenever, we need him. He knows that. He’s continuing to build. We have all the confidence in the world in him. But the way people have been talking is f*cking ridiculous.
“The kid has done a lot here. So much. For it to be devalued all for a few games is complete B.S. It’s not fair to him. He’s done so much for us as a team. Before I got here. While I’ve been here. He’s going to get back to his form. The kid is 24 years old. It’s not always easy to figure out a fit. He has done a phenomenal job of it and will continue to get back to it. Come playoff time, he will be right there with us. We have his back.”
Garland has struggled to return to his previous form after he suffered a fractured jaw in December.
The point guard returned from his injury at the end of January and has been averaging 14.1 points, 6.7 assists, and 1.7 rebounds while shooting 46 percent from the floor and 32 percent from behind the arc.
In the two seasons prior, he averaged more than 21 points per game and more than seven assists per contest.
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