It’s almost the first week of September, which means the latest iteration of everyone’s “beloved” basketball franchise, NBA 2K25, is about to hit the market. Gameplay footage has been circulating on social media to give fans a reason to spend their hard-earned cash on a copy of the game. But in one of these clips, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland was presented with the award the short end of the stick.
NBA2KLab, an account on X, formerly known as Twitter, that posts clips of animations found in the game, tweeted a video of what appears to be a new shot cancel feature for NBA 2K25. This feature allows awkward ball handlers to cancel their huddle to fool defenders. The video posted by the account happens to feature Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young Backstage gathering cancelled to leave the Cavs guard in the dust for an open layup.
At least Darius Garland saw the funny side of the situation. The Cavs point guard quoted the message with a line that made it sound like he couldn’t believe why he was chosen to be on the wrong end of an unpleasant action.
“Come on man 😂,” Garland wrote on his official X account.
It should be noted that the animation was not smooth at all. It looked like the Hawks star had already resumed his dribble before starting another dribble, which is the classic definition of a double-dribble infraction. Regardless, Cavs fans on X came to Garland’s defense, claiming that he wouldn’t be the victim in real life like he was in the NBA 2K25 clip.
“You will never be as cooked as this goat,” @spidasworld wrote on X.
“DG we all know you would blow that ass up,” added user @Cleve1andHQ.
“Fuck that’s a Carryyyyy 😭🤣 2,000 refs on trash too,” @LawrenceUSI added.
But beyond getting torched by Trae Young on the virtual streets, the Cavs guard has a better reason to use NBA 2K25 as fuel to bounce back from a less-than-ideal 2023-24 campaign.
Breaking Down Cavs Starting Point Guard Ratings in NBA 2K25
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Unsurprisingly, Darius Garland’s NBA 2K25 rating has dropped after a rocky campaign with the Cavs. Garland suffered a slew of injuries that limited him to just 57 games, and in those games, his efficiency, compared to previous seasons, has dropped, as have his overall usage and touches.
So, 2K Sports felt it was best for them to give the Cavs point guard a rating of 82, down one from his 83 in the previous NBA 2K game. That rating is a bit disappointing, though. According to 2K, Garland is on par with Josh Hart, Alex Caruso, Jalen Suggs, and Herb Jones, players that contending teams would love, but who lack the All-Star pedigree and potential of the Cavs point guard.
For reference, Cade Cunningham is four points ahead of Garland (86). That may not be particularly telling of the disparity in skill, talent, and impact between these two players.
Still, the Cavs point guard, still only 24, has time to redeem himself after a tough year. With a new coach in Kenny Atkinson, perhaps Garland finds comfort again as he lines up alongside Donovan Mitchell in the backcourt. And if he improves in real life, his NBA 2K25 rating should reflect that sooner rather than later.
