The Cleveland Cavaliers have not seen a ton of wins this season. However, the growth of rookie guard Collin Sexton has been something to be satisfied with. He’s made it known he will be part of the young core Cleveland is trying to build.
The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted Alabama guard Collin Sexton with the eighth overall pick in last June’s draft, hoping for an electric two-way player that would be able to run the offense. After a Summer League stretch that displayed Sexton’s strengths, expectations were pretty high.
Fans thought they’d be getting a superior guard right from the beginning from a 19-year-old that was trying to find his way in the league.
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It started uneventfully, with Sexton coming off of the bench for then-starting point guard George Hill. Sexton received minimal minutes on a nightly basis. No big moments to play, no opportunity to get comfortable.
Things weren’t appearing to end well.
A nice period of play after being named the starter was met with some continuous ups and downs in terms of consistently good performances. Sexton was really underwhelming on some nights and it felt as if he wasn’t improving that much.
It made the upcoming draft process difficult to gauge. Would Cleveland need to select a player that plays a similar position as Sexton?
It felt as if the team was going to be drafting to make up for the selection of Sexton.
But then a flip switched inside the 20-year-old, a switch that has ignited the play that appealed to teams during his draft process.
Maybe it was a college thing, as Sexton unleashed his own version of March Madness. He scored 23 points in seven consecutive games to tie Tim Duncan for the NBA rookie record. He was efficient from the perimeter and looked comfortable in his jump shot. And ultimately, he was aware and prepared to make the right play.
Sexton holds the Cavaliers’ rookie record for three-pointers and has already scored 1,000 points in his career. He’s accomplished some good things. But this latest stretch has made it easier for Cleveland to believe in drafting to build with Sexton.
It seems as if Sexton would benefit from any incoming prospect, as the month of March is providing a glimpse into the Wine and Gold’s future in more ways than one.