Myron Gardner spent the first stretch of the season fighting for his NBA life as a fringe rotation afterthought. Most of his spot minutes involved empty cardio and forced offense, a grim reality captured on 12/30 vs DEN. In just four minutes, Gardner posted an abysmal -11.0 impact score by rushing three missed shots and completely killing the team's offensive flow. He found a grittier way to survive on 01/11 vs IND. Despite a brutal 1-for-6 shooting night, his relentless effort to pull down seven rebounds kept his impact exactly neutral at -0.0. Gardner finally looked like a legitimate NBA threat on 01/18 vs OKC, logging 15 minutes and pouring in 11 points on perfect 4-of-4 shooting. That flawless offensive execution yielded a season-best +7.1 impact score, offering a rare bright spot in an otherwise bleak campaign.

Myron Gardner’s midseason stretch was defined by a jarring Jekyll-and-Hyde dynamic between highly effective spot starts and disastrously empty bench minutes. Given a chance with the first unit on 01/31 vs CHI, he thrived, posting a massive +18.2 Impact score by crashing the glass for 11 rebounds. He replicated that gritty formula on 02/11 vs NOP, finishing with just 8 points but still generating a +4.6 Impact because his 10 rebounds kept crucial possessions alive. Off the bench, he was a ghost. Look no further than his brief appearance on 02/09 vs UTA, where he stumbled to a brutal -13.9 Impact in just six minutes. He offered zero defensive resistance and failed to secure loose balls during these short stints, sleepwalking through his court time. Gardner clearly needs heavy minutes to find a rhythm, rendering him almost unplayable as a situational sub.