When evaluating a young NBA player, It’s a great measuring stick to see how he performs against the top teams. When facing the upper echelon of competition in his rookie season, Darius Garland was a star. His first career 20-point game came on 11/22/19 against the Mavericks, who were one of the league’s hottest teams at the time. His second 20-point game came four games later against the Bucks, who won 24 of their first 27 games of the ’19-20 season. His third 20-point effort occurred on 12/16/19 against the defending NBA Finals champion Toronto Raptors. With the Cavaliers rebuilding for a return to a spot as one of the dominant teams in the Eastern Conference, Garland’s performances against high-quality teams bodes well for that to happen quickly. This collage features six action images from Garland’s rookie campaign.

Garland has autographed this “On The Rise” 16x24 designed image in black paint pen. His signature is deemed authentic by virtue of Upper Deck Authenticated’s Five-Step Process.