How Darius Garland could have a Steve Nash-like impact under Erik Spoelstra
By Brennan Sims
What makes Garland special offensively
When you think of the basketball term "shifty," Darius Garland is up there with the best of them. He's lightning-quick and changes directions in a blur. Garland's one-of-a-kind handle allows him to get just about anywhere on the court when he faces single coverage. He can flatten bigs and guards—even elite defenders like Jayson Tatum stand no chance with his cheetah quicks.
That is a filthy double behind-the-back move. That move is in Kyrie's and Steph's bags but not in many other players' arsenals. Moves like that show how special Garland's creativity is with the ball in his hands.
Garland's dishing and bird's-eye vision rivals his showtime handles. He throws some passes reminiscent of back-to-back MVP winner Steve Nash.
The touch on these passes is mesmerizing. For crying out loud, Garland has underhand off-hand full-court passes in his bag. When Garland is running the show, he's an elite floor general.
He was an All-Star in 2022 when he was the outright lead ballhandler in The Land. They won more with the edition of Mitchell in 2023, but both players would be maximized if they played the roles they were born to play—the orchestra.