Darius Garland speaks on turning Cavaliers season around after week off

After a long and troubling stretch, the five-day break has come at an excellent time for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but now they need to return to form.

The time off has been used to practice and work on any adjustments drawn up in Kenny Atkinson’s playbook, the ability to rest, even an opportunity to unwind and heal, which Darius Garland has needed, having struggled this season to fully recover from toe surgery in the offseason, which has placed him in injury management.

For Garland and for the Cavs, the timing has been perfect. But now, they have to come out with urgency, something that has been seriously lacking since mid-November. And it started with the well-documented film session that the team had, which felt like a much-needed wake-up call.

“Everybody needs that,” Garland said. “He spoke with the, quote, unquote best players and really went down from there. It was really good for all of us to see what we’re doing out there. Film doesn’t lie.”

Darius Garland on the break:

“It was good for getting my toe right. Definitely made some strides in the right direction. Watching film was good for all of us. Film doesn’t lie so we’re holding everyone accountable. Gotta play harder and find a way to win games.” pic.twitter.com/8M2qiA6CQy
— ¹⁰ (@HoodiGarland) December 11, 2025

AND NOW THE REAL CLEVELAND CAVALIERS NEED TO STEP OUT

After that uncomfortable but sorely needed film session, the team held a players-only meeting, and mentally, it is believed the focus and desire to perform are there.

But the mental aspect of performing and the reality of performing are two different things.

“We’ve got to play harder, got to play for each other,” Garland said when asked about the specifics of that players-only meeting. “We’ve got to find a way to win games.”

What the NBA’s most underperforming team right now hasn’t found is intensity and heart. That’s what they need to find.

They went from going a season-high 58 percent against the San Antonio Spurs to a season-low 34 percent against the Golden State Warriors in their last two games - a staggering turnaround.

In their run of five losses in the last seven games, they have played like a general employee who wants only to clock in and clock out, with the paycheck their only thought, because they are struggling to pay their bills.

The Cavaliers are not that; they are an inspiration to the 19,000 that fill the Rocket Arena and to the many that watch their road games. They know they are not exactly inspiring right now, but it isn’t too late to get back on track.

"Right now, we're not where we want to be, not where we need to be," Donovan Mitchell said at the start of December, and ahead of Friday’s battle with the Washington Wizards, they still are not.

But there is time to fix it. Time, though, is beginning to get shorter.