Cleveland Cavaliers’ takeaways from awful loss to Houston Rockets

Sexton and Osman both have some positives they can take from this game.

Neither player’s stats jump out as being noteworthy, but there are parts of both of their game that have seen some improvement recently.

Sexton’s shot has regressed a little bit from the outside, but he’s shown signs of becoming a more complete offensive player. The rookie has done a better job of facilitating and getting to the free throw line recently.

Sexton did a solid job of using his speed to attack and get to the line in Houston as he finished with five free throw attempts, and made all of them. He also has done a better job of initiating the offense and getting others involved more consistently. Sexton finished the game with five assists.

In the last eight games, Sexton is averaging 3.9 assists and 4.5 free throw attempts, according to NBA.com. Those numbers are still obviously lower than you’d want them to be, but they are up from his season averages. Improving both of those skills will more than likely determine what kind of NBA career Sexton has.

Osman continues to improve in his ability to take defenders off the dribble. Osman did a solid job of attacking and finishing at the rim all night. He went four-of-five in the restricted area and was six-of-seven from the paint overall, per NBA.com.

Osman hasn’t been the facilitator or three-point shooter we were hoping he’d be this season, but his ability to take defenders off the dribble has been a pleasant surprise, to say the least. This has been a tough year for Osman, but there are signs that he can become a solid offensive player.