Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 ways Collin Sexton benefits without LeBron James

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LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 9: Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers goes to the basket against the Indiana Pacers during the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League on July 9, 2018 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Reason #1: He’ll have more of the ball

Sexton is going to need the ball in his hands in most situations to be successful, as most young point guards do. He led the SEC in usage rate (at 32.9 percent), and at the next level (potentially leading the second unit to start the season), he’ll probably need to have a high usage as well.

Having that high of a usage probably won’t be a best-case scenario for him long-term, but without James handling the ball the vast majority of possessions in a game, it will enable Sexton to be more aggressive. With that being the case, the Cavaliers are better off long-term, because Sexton will be able to learn from both his mistakes and successes as a higher-frequency scoring primary ball-handler. In that role under former NBA point guard and now Alabama head coach Avery Johnson, he got valuable exposure as a lead playmaker.

Young point guards need time to develop, and if they have to resort to a more spot-up/off-ball role early on, it can stunt their growth as decision-makers. George Hill can provide a solid veteran presence around Sexton, and he can teach him some of the tricks of the trade as a lead guard as the season moves along. Hill isn’t a dynamic playmaker, but he does do an admirable job of snaking defenders in the pick-and-roll to create mismatches on a consistent basis.

Sexton will be able to grow as a decision-maker in pick-and-roll situations more without James, and he’ll be able to find more matchups to take advantage of his good pull-up game, and get free throw opportunities. He had 7.6 free throw attempts per game and shot 77.8 percent on those. He had the second-most free throws made and attempted in the SEC, and was seventh in the country overall in free throw attempts, according to Sports Reference.

With his quickness, he’ll likely get to the line at a high rate, even at the NBA level. If he was playing with the ball considerably less, he wouldn’t be able to progress as much as a playmaker, and probably wouldn’t get to the foul line at a high frequency.

As the season moves along, Sexton should get better with more experience at finding his teammates, such as Kevin Love, Rodney Hood, Cedi Osman, Larry Nance Jr., Tristan Thompson, David Nwaba and others.

The second reason he’ll benefit without James involves there being less national pressure.