Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson says Darius Garland making most of recovery

INDEPENDENCE — Strangely, Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland's offseason surgery might be a "blessing in disguise." Coach Kenny Atkinson said during a media session Tuesday at Cleveland Clinic Courts that Garland's toe surgery caused him to focus on his strength and conditioning. The two-time All-Star had surgery on his right big toe June 9 and is expected to miss the start of the 2025-26 season. At the time of the procedure, the Cavs said he'd miss approximately four to five months. Garland isn't the only starter who won't be ready for opening night. Small forward Max Strus broke a bone in his left foot while conditioning and had surgery Aug. 26. The club said he'd be sidelined for three to four months. Atkinson said he wouldn't divulge his plans at this point, even though Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman said newcomer Lonzo Ball won't play starter's minutes this season, which might rule him out as the replacement for Garland. Ball, acquired from the Chicago Bulls, might be Cleveland's most impactful offseason move. He has suffered multiple injuries in his career, and Altman said the Cavs will pay strict attention to his minutes this season, possibly restricting him from playing back-to-back games. The goal is for Ball to be ready for the postseason. The plan might be to shift six-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell to point guard and insert Sam Merrill at shooting guard while Garland is sidelined. At small forward, emerging star De'Andre Hunter or Dean Wade could step into the starting lineup. Garland, 25, is entering his seventh NBA season and is the longest-tenured player on the team. He averaged 20.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists last season in 75 games. The Vanderbilt product missed four games in the postseason due to his turf toe injury. There is no timetable for his return to game action, even though he has resumed basketball activities. Altman said Garland will be limited in training camp. The Cavs will travel to IMG Academy in Sarasota, Florida, for a six-day training camp Sept. 30. Media day is scheduled for Monday and their first preseason game is Oct. 7 against Chicago. "The toe looks good and he feels good," Altman said. "He had a really good offseason only because he focused on the things that we've been talking about for a long time, which is weight room strength. He looks good. He's stronger. He's more stout. He has a great attitude. I think his mental (approach) is in the right place. "The biggest thing is how do we start to ramp him up from a conditioning standpoint? That's not something that can happen in two weeks. I think he's had a really good offseason from a strength perspective." Altman said Garland is one of the team's "mainstays." "He has a lot of equity here," he said. "He's ready to have real playoff success. He was on the way to do that before he had the toe (injury). Under (Atkinson's) tutelage, he got him back to the All-Star level." Atkinson called 6-foot-1, 192-pound Garland one of his "pet" players. "He's a pure point guard who can get you 40," he said. Strus, 29, is also entering his seventh NBA season. He averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists last season in 50 games. Strus was sidelined for the first 27 games last year due to an ankle injury. The DePaul product will accompany the team to Florida but won't take part in team activities. "We'll lose something from a leadership standpoint," Altman said. "He'll still be around. He'll come back." Contact Bob Finnan at (440) 329-7135 or rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.