Clippers’ Darius Garland still has a chip from Cleveland: ‘Yeah, 1,000%’

Darius Garland has said he found his joy again with the Clippers. That doesn’t mean he forgot how things ended with the Cavaliers.

Asked by Marc J. Spears of Andscape whether he still carries a chip from Cleveland, Garland didn’t hesitate.

“Yeah, 1,000%,” he said. “It wasn’t even the trade. It was just everything that happened. Everybody thought that I was just out of the league, basically. But now I’m trying to get that spark back, trying to get back to the All-Star level that I’m used to being at.”

That sounds like Garland. He isn’t promising revenge against the Cavs or pretending he hated his time there. He spent nearly seven seasons in Cleveland, became a two-time All-Star and helped turn a rebuilding team into a contender. Then injuries got in the way, and the Cavs sent him to Los Angeles in February for James Harden.

Garland, 26, now has a chance to show he can lead a team again. Kawhi Leonard is gone, Brandon Ingram will miss the start of the season, and Garland is embracing the responsibility that comes with being the Clippers’ lead guard.

“It’s definitely something that I want,” he told Spears. “I think I’ve been through a lot in this career and I think I’m ready to take on the reins of that, especially Year 8. I think I’ve actually found myself a little bit, and I know where I want to get to.”

He also has a message for Clippers fans: “Be patient.”

“It’s a lot going on right now,” Garland said. “Got a lot of new faces coming in, so we definitely have to be patient. Got to work through a lot of bumps and bruises, even though we want to win games at a high rate.”

Garland says his troublesome toes are healthy after an offseason of rehab. Former Cavs teammate Max Strus is alongside him again, too. (Though Strus was injured five minutes into the preseason opener.)

Either way, the Clippers may need time to sort themselves out, but Garland sounds ready to find out how far he can take them. As for that chip from Cleveland? He’s keeping it.