Darius Garland to make Clippers debut Monday at Warriors

The LA Clippers have formally set the debut date for level guard Darius Garland. The two-time All-Star will play in his first sport with the Clippers Monday at Chase Center in opposition to the Golden State Warriors. It will likely be Garland’s first look since being traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers on Feb. 4 with a second-round choose in alternate for All-NBA level guard James Harden.

TheAthletic reported that the Clippers had been making ready for Garland to return as quickly as Monday, following a interval the place the Clippers performed just one sport in six days. Garland was held out Sunday with the Clippers internet hosting the New Orleans Pelicans, the primary of an 18-game March schedule. Monday night time’s sport will likely be nationally-streamed on Peacock. With Garland topic to the Player Participation Policy as a latest All-Star choice, his debut matches the league’s preferences.

The 26-year-old will doubtless be on a minutes restriction indefinitely as he returns to competitors. Garland underwent surgical procedure on his left huge toe in June and missed the primary seven video games of the season with Cleveland earlier than debuting Nov. 5 in opposition to the Philadelphia 76ers. He reported soreness within the toe upon arriving to the Clippers, and the group determined to take as a lot time as wanted to guarantee Garland can be 100% upon debuting for his new group.

Garland hasn’t performed in a sport since Jan. 14, when he suffered a Grade 1 sprain of his proper toe in Philadelphia. That was in the end Garland’s final sport with the Cavaliers, the group that drafted him fifth within the 2019 NBA Draft out of Vanderbilt.

Garland averaged 18.0 factors, 6.9 assists, and a pair of.3 3s per sport in 26 video games this season with Cleveland. The Clippers have been utilizing a beginning lineup of Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., Kawhi Leonard, John Collins and Brook Lopez whereas awaiting Garland’s debut. Head coach Tyronn Lue additionally advised that Garland could possibly be a lift to reserves Bennedict Mathurin and Yanic Konan Niederhäuser in sure lineups as properly.

“We haven’t had a chance to see it yet, but I do think having Yanic on the floor with Darius is a good combination,” Lue stated prior to Sunday’s sport in opposition to the Pelicans. “I think Benn, as well, is a great combination for him. So we’ve got to see once he gets back, once he’s healthy, he’s able to play the minutes we need him to play. And then we’ll be able to see those combinations.”