Collin Sexton is undoubtedly a key piece moving forward for Cavs
By Dan Gilinsky
Collin Sexton is killing it for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and whether or not he starts next season, Sexton is undoubtedly a key piece for Cleveland in coming years and should be for a long time.
I know, I know, I know. Cleveland Cavaliers second-year guard Collin Sexton still has a ways to go in terms of passing vision and awareness defensively, but on the plus side, Sexton is improving as a passer and him getting stronger this past summer is allowing him to make strides defensively.
Heck, just ask Bradley Beal, Victor Oladipo or Jordan Clarkson about Sexton’s improvement as a physical defender.
Anyway, the bread-and-butter with Sexton, his scoring, still shouldn’t be overlooked, as Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff highlighted recently.
In his last 10 games, Sexton has again led Cleveland by putting up 22.1 points per outing on 60.0 percent true shooting, according to NBA.com. Also, as Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor detailed, Sexton has taken it up a notch since Cleveland traded Clarkson to the Utah Jazz in December, at the time in exchange for Dante Exum and two future second-round picks.
Plus, in back-to-back games, in what were close losses to the Indiana Pacers on Saturday and a respectable showing with the Cavs severely shorthanded against the Jazz on Monday, Sexton tied and then had career-high scoring outputs.
On Monday, Sexton had 32 points on 11-of-17 shooting, which included four-of-six shooting from three-point range, to go with five rebounds, three assists and three steals, as noted by ESPN.
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In this 2019-20 season, even after a nightmarish month of December from deep, Sexton is now shooting 38.8 percent from three-point range this season.
At this point, whether or not he eventually starts at the 2 alongside Darius Garland, with Kevin Porter Jr., or 2020 NBA Draft prospects, LaMelo Ball (who should get stronger in coming years, but is capable of playing the 3 a bunch early on at 6-foot-8), Isaac Okoro or Deni Avdija, feasibly over Cedi Osman at the 3, Sexton is undoubtedly a key piece for Cleveland moving forward.
With the way Sexton puts so much pressure on opposing defenses with his speed, improved floater game and catch-and-shoot three-point acumen leading him to getting more downhill chances, the youngster has to be playing big minutes in coming years.
That’s again whether or not he starts with either Garland, likely Cleveland’s best passer at the moment, with KPJ starting at the 3 next season, or Ball/Avdija/Okoro or if Sexton is a big-time sixth man that can be in closing lineups if he has it rolling.
I again understand that Sexton has to develop in other areas to be more well-rounded long-term, but on a positive note, though his passing vision is anything but advanced, he has demonstrated growth there in finding dump-offs and occasionally rolling feeds to Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and Larry Nance Jr., and somewhat to Andre Drummond.
The extra passes to shooters are coming more regularly, too, as in his last 15 games, Sexton has posted 4.1 assists per outing, to 2.5 turnovers (but his turnover rate is only 9.7 percent), as documented by NBA.com.
So to me, Sexton is undoubtedly a key piece moving forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Sexton’s otherworldly work ethic, ability to be coached hard, his junkyard dog mentality on the floor, and him not yet missing a game in his first near-two seasons proves that the Young Bull should be around in Cleveland, even if that relates to him being a sixth man, for a long time.
These comments from Bickerstaff after Monday’s game fully encapsulate what Sexton brings for the Wine and Gold on a day-to-day basis, too.
Additionally, 21-year-olds in their second season that go out and can get you 30-plus in consecutive games don’t grow on trees, especially ones that are on their fourth head coach in not even two full seasons (which was beyond Sexton’s control).
I’m #ForeverBullish because of the way Sexton continues to show that no matter the circumstances, due to tireless work ethic, he’s always going to make his presence felt and generate offense by his will and improving skill to boot.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and general manager Koby Altman should view Sexton as one of this team’s key pieces for a long time, and because of Sexton’s exemplary attitude, I firmly believe if it came to it, the Young Bull would embrace being moved to a sixth man role.
He could still realistically play over half/28ish minutes per game, as Clarkson used to often, and be a closing option down the stretch in coming years for Bickerstaff and company.