Cavs: Collin Sexton should be proud making All-Rookie Second Team

Cleveland Cavaliers youngster Collin Sexton was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, and he should be very proud of that honor, as the 2018-19 class had plenty of talented rookies.

The Cleveland Cavaliers got a quality rookie season from point guard Collin Sexton, who averaged 16.7 points on 48.0% effective field goal shooting, to go with 3.0 assists per game, per NBA.com. Sexton, as KJG contributors often detailed, worked tirelessly to improve, and his post-All-Star break surge (with averages of 20.8 points on 55.0% effective field goal shooting and 3.2 assists per game) really displayed his potential, and with the way Sexton’s attitude and drive is, that was no post-All-Star break empty production.

Sexton was third in scoring among qualified rookies in 2018-19 (per Basketball Reference), and he was top five in a number of categories, as was demonstrated by Cavs Official Notes.

That second bit is really something for the 20-year-old, because being in a scoring/shooting conversation with Larry Bird and Stephen Curry, though it’s early, is a heck of a start for Sexton to build on.

For his rookie scoring presence, and incredible effort in playing all 82 games in his first season (per Basketball Reference), which is a testament to his conditioning and work ethic, the “Young Bull” was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, h/t ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Though the Cavaliers (and I’m sure so many fans) would’ve liked to have seen Sexton get on the All-Rookie First Team, being on the second squad is quite an honor.

The 2018-19 rookie class was a good one, headlined by the likely-Rookie of the Year in the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic and the likely-runner-up in the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young, who tied for having the most all-rookie voting points. Let’s not dismiss the work of the Phoenix Suns’ Deandre Ayton, the Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr., the Sacramento Kings’ Marvin Bagley III and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (and numerous other rookies), either, though.

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Of course, with Sexton being on the second squad, he’ll probably use this as a motivational chip going into the 2019-20 season and beyond.

Playing off that, Sexton was seen getting up shots in working with current director of player development/assistant coach Mike Gerrity (who should be retained by the way) before new head coach John Beilein‘s introductory press conference, h/t Cavs.com/Fox Sports Ohio’s Cayleigh Griffin and Basketball Insiders’ Spencer Davies.

Based on what the Cavs will be getting from Beilein in the coming years, which we saw a glimpse of on Tuesday in his introductory presser (hopefully), Sexton should continue to grow as an NBA guard on both ends of the floor, and I would expect him to cement himself as one of the cornerstone players on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the near future.

This All-Rookie Second Team distinction is quite an honor for the young playmaker, but it’s only the very beginning of what should be a long and successful career for him in the Wine and Gold.

Stay hungry, Young Bull.