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5 things that must happen for Collin Sexton to win Rookie of the Year

By Doug Patrick

TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Collin Sexton has a realistic shot at winning the most coveted award among rookies.

According to Las Vegas Sports Betting, Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Collin Sexton, also known as the Young Bull currently holds the fifth-best odds (+800) to win Rookie of the Year.

He falls behind Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (+400), Phoenix Suns center DeAndre Ayton (+450), New York Knicks forward Kevin Knox (+700) and Sacramento Kings big man Marvin Bagley III (+700).

However, are five things that must happen for him to come out victorious:

1. Cleveland’s shooters must stay productive.

While Sexton is fast enough to abuse cautious defenders, their playing off him will serve to clog the lane, especially when help defense comes.

This Cavs team, then, will need to remain effective in their long-range shooting to space the floor. Last season, they were a premier shooting team from deep, ranking highly in all categories: three-point frequency (5th), three-point attempts (5th), three-point makes (3rd), and three-point percentage (6th).

Although players like J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver may see their minutes dwindle this year, they are still knock-down shooters who keep defenses honest.

Kevin Love shot 41.5 percent from deep last year. If he can keep this up, a pairing of him and Channing Frye could work wonders in keeping power forwards and centers out of the paint.

A Sexton-Smith-Korver-Frye-Love lineup may be just what the doctor ordered to give the rookie the best chance on offense.

The only problem: there’s the defensive side of the ball to worry about too. This five could inevitably leak too many points to rationalize using it for much more than short a high-powered stint.

Larry Nance Jr. could prove to be a viable replacement for Frye in this lineup and provide some defensive help. Last season in March, Nance showed off some ability in the midrange and impressed both LeBron James and Coach Lue with his shot. If Nance could continue building on his form, he may become a reliable jump-shooter from around that 10-16 foot range. While this isn’t a three-pointer, a Nance who threatens from the elbow will unclog the lane better than someone standing in the restricted area like Tristan Thompson.

Sexton will need all the space he can get.