Kawhi Leonard Reveals What He Expects From Darius Garland After His Clippers Debut

The Los Angeles Clippers picked up a massive 114-101 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Monday. Point guard Darius Garland made his highly anticipated debut with the Clippers. He came off the bench and played 23 minutes in the winning effort.

Garland played in his first game since January 14th, as he was nursing a toe injury. The seventh-year guard posted 12 points, two rebounds, and two assists on 4/9 shooting in the win. As he continues to ramp up, his contributions will continue to grow as LA looks to get to the playoffs.

Kawhi Leonard Shares Thoughts on Darius Garland

After the game, Kawhi Leonard was asked about his expectations for Garland. Per Clippers beat writer Joey Linn, Leonard said, "Number one, just competitive nature...We're gonna be looking at him to get us involved, get him some shots, pushing the pace in transition for us, and just getting everybody involved and calling sets so we're not stagnant at times."

Leonard added that he is looking forward to playing more basketball with Garland. Leonard finished with 23 points, eight rebounds, and two steals in Monday's win. Leonard's expectations for Garland are exactly what he brings to this Clippers team.

Garland is an excellent facilitator, averaging over six assists per game in each of the last six seasons. He turned the ball over five times against the Warriors, but he has done a better job of reducing turnovers over the last couple of years. He'll be able to create open looks for his new teammates in LA.

Garland's Role Will Only Grow

As he continues to get acclimated to LA, he'll be able to run the offense efficiently while also scoring at a high clip. Garland averages nearly 19 points per game in his career while shooting 38% from beyond the arc.

Per Linn, head coach Ty Lue explained his reasoning for bringing Garland off the bench. Lue said, "So he can kinda find his own rhythm, his own timing, and just try to run everything through him. Just being aggressive, our pace picking up. That's the thought process behind bringing him off the bench...That's what he'll be doing until we get his minutes up. Then, of course, you know he's gonna be the starter."

Garland will likely pair with Kris Dunn in the backcourt upon his arrival in the starting lineup. The two should work nicely, as Dunn brings superb defense and physicality, while Garland can run the offense and distribute.

It may not have been the splashiest debut from Garland, but the Clippers picked up a massive win on Monday. They gained some ground on Golden State in the standings, and Garland's presence will only help LA win more games during this pivotal stretch.