Cleveland Cavaliers players Darius Garland and Max Strus are navigating recovery from significant injuries as they prepare for the upcoming NBA season. In June, Garland underwent surgery to repair a torn turf toe ligament. This injury played a large role in curbing his impact in the Cavaliers’ disappointing second-round exit against the Indiana Pacers. Simultaneously, Strus broke a bone in his shooting hand while doing an offseason workout, which has likewise left him unavailable.
Garland has bee doing very well since the surgery and is on the road to a full recovery. And of course, after a month of rigorous rehabilitation, he’s right back on the court. He’s jumping into workouts and going straight into drills that require contact. He expressed optimism about his recovery, stating, “Summer went really well. Rehab has been going really well. I’m back on the court, moving around, I’m ramping up for the season. So everything’s been good. It’s been a really good off season.”
Unfortunately for Garland, despite all of his progress, he’ll likely be out for at least the start of the regular season. Beyond skill development, though, he still makes practice all about conditioning and preparation, underscoring the idea of being in the best possible shape. “I’m going to keep working, keep aggressive, working on conditioning and cardio right now, so happy to be back on the court,” he added.
It was a tough break for Strus when he suffered a Jones fracture. This injury happened when he was trying to make a jump on an offseason practice jump. Chillingly, he recounted what happened when it “just cracked,” calling his experience “unfortunate.” After surgery to fix the fracture, Strus is five weeks into his recovery. He’s almost entirely walking without a boot now, which is a good indicator that he’s on the mend and healing.
“I’m in a good spot right now, and everything seems to be healing,” Strus mentioned, as he looks forward to his six-week checkup with doctors next week. It’ll be a stretch for both players to help their teams when the regular season tips off on October 22.
While Garland and Strus figure out their ways back from injury, the Cavaliers must shift their style of play if they want to continue winning. For Cleveland, Evan Mobley will need to do even more ball-handling with them out. Mobley has spent his summer focused on developing those skills. Off the bench he’s looking forward to an increased responsibility on the court.
Mitchell Donovan noted the importance of readiness for the upcoming challenges: “I think for me, I just was like, ‘Look, I’m just going to be in the best shape possible, going to be ready to go, and if I need to adjust, I need to adjust.’”
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