Darius Garland makes bold Cleveland Cavaliers statement ahead of season opener

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland is still recovering from toe surgery he underwent during the offseason.

Garland suffered the injury in the first round series against the Miami Heat, forcing him to miss the final two games in the Sunshine State. The Cavs won both of those games, but his absence trickled into the team's series against the Indiana Pacers, which they lost in five.

Garland spoke about his injury on SiriusXM Radio, where he believes the Cavs would have won a championship if he was healthy.

"I think we would've won it, I say that pretty confidently," Garland said on SiriusXM NBA radio h/t CBS Sports contributor Jasmyn Wimbish.

"The talent with this group is just out the roof. The will that we have on both sides of the ball -- we got the Defensive Player of the Year, I'll say the second best defensive big [in Jarrett Allen] since we've got the Defensive Player of the Year already. With Evan [Mobley] and [Jarrett Allen] down there blocking shots and protecting the paint, I think that really helps us on that side of the ball. Evan growing, Donovan being Donovan of course, [De'Andre Hunter] was coming along, Max Strus was coming along, I felt I was pretty good in the first round. So yeah, I say that confidently that we would've won."

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland cheers from the bench in the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons. | David Richard-Imagn Images

Garland imagines what could have been for Cavs

The Cavs won 64 games in the regular season, but it didn't translate to postseason success, largely due to Garland's injury. The Cavs definitely could have had a different result if Garland was 100 percent during the postseason.

The same core Garland mentioned in his comments are returning for the upcoming season, so who's to say the Cavs can't win it all with that group in 2025-26? The Cavs have made some tweaks to make up for losing Ty Jerome in free agency, namely trading for Lonzo Ball from the Chicago Bulls.

The Cavs' failures from the spring will dictate how the team operates in the upcoming season. Health will take on more of a priority as the team tries to win as many games as possible without risking injury.

It won't be easy, but if the Cavs can keep their core healthy throughout the regular season and into the playoffs, they could have a chance to succeed the Oklahoma City Thunder as the league's champion for the first time in 10 years.