Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland did not mince words when describing their postseason exit at the hands of the New York Knicks. Garland spoke with Cavs beat writer Chris Fedor and described the overall physical nature of their playoff matchup with New York.
I think their physicality took a toll on us in that series. They beat us up. We now know how physical the game is in the playoffs and we know how fast the pace is and every possession matters. Just taking little bits and pieces of that series and trying to put it together for the regular season and then also carry that into the playoffs.
Darius Garland on series with Knicks
Darius Garland also made sure to note that this was the first playoff action for a lot of the Cavs’ players. This is something that is very important in the grand scheme of things. There is value in being a young team and getting your teeth knocked in during a postseason series loss. The playoffs are a completely different animal and sometimes that leads to exits in this manner. But this should not mean anyone should be down on the future of this team.
Although Cleveland’s first postseason trip in the second post-LeBron era did not go their way, it will prove to be a valuable learning experience for everyone involved. Getting that first taste of posteason play is so crucial in the development of a team. There is simply no substitute for actual playoff basketball and replicating it properly is impossible.
Cleveland expects to get back to the playoffs this year and the hope is that they can draw from their prior learning experience as a way to get better. The front office has brought in a collection of new players to help their cause. Now it is up to the players to hold up their end of the deal and put together a more successful postseason run.
