For Cavaliers’ youngsters, Collin Sexton will set the tone

Collin Sexton is clearly the top option for the Cleveland Cavaliers now.

Heading into his third season for the Cleveland Cavaliers, guard Collin Sexton is Cleveland’s primary offensive option. That seems evident at this point, with how he closed out his second campaign.

Sexton led Cleveland in scoring with 20.8 points per game in 2019-20, which was really impressive, especially considering Kevin Love was mostly healthy. Additionally, Sexton was on quite a tear leading into the league’s novel coronavirus-induced hiatus/ultimately the end of last season for the Cavs.

In Sexton’s last 32 games active, he had 23.6 points per contest on 49.2 percent shooting, which included him hitting 44.9 percent of his then-4.9 three-point attempts per outing. In his last 10 games active, he had 25.5 points per game on 59.8 percent effective field goal shooting, too.

Looking at him heading into this next season for the Cavs, it’s again safe to say he’ll be Cleveland’s primary option, with how Sexton improved his efficiency in Year 2/closed out so strongly as a go-to scorer. Him showing the ability to change speeds off-the-bounce was particularly noteworthy to me, also.

Anyhow, what’s clear as day looking at what’s to come in 2020-21, is that in regards to the Cavs’ youngsters, Sexton will set the tone.

 Sexton’s the example for the Cavs’ young guys to look up to.

With what Collin demonstrated last season/his passing growth, which although the assist splits didn’t necessarily show it a ton, was apparent as the year progressed, he’ll be a prime example for young players to look up to. Cavs such as Darius Garland, Kevin Porter Jr. and Isaac Okoro, perhaps, come to mind in that realm.

Sexton’s tireless work ethic is truly rare, and frankly, it’s had to have paid off for him and the Wine and Gold, based on how he made noticeable strides last season.

Now I completely acknowledge that Collin needs to improve more as a playmaker for others, as his feel there needs to get better, albeit he did progress more so as Year 2 wore on, to reiterate. Sexton defensively has work to do as well, and I’d say in relation to off-ball play/getting through off-ball screens more consistently, in particular.

But with how quickly he’s turned a perceived weakness of his in regards to three-point shooting, especially, coming into the 2018 draft, into a strength, that helps set the kind of example Cleveland’s looking for for young players in their development. Sexton, who hit only 33.6 percent from deep in his lone collegiate season at Alabama, has hit 39.2 percent from there in two seasons with the Cavs.

Now, I’m sure the guys are putting the work in, and have been throughout what’s been an extended offseason for the Cavaliers. But Sexton’s work ethic, from a leadership by example standpoint, would appear to rub off on guys like Garland and Porter; the dude’s love for the game and commitment level simply don’t come around often.

And Garland, who seemingly had a great showing at the Cavs voluntary in-market bubble team workouts, as KJG’s Grant Puskar hit on, could be poised for a bounce-back season, too. That’s also considering he’ll have been able to work on his game so extensively, as compared to when he was mostly rehabbing coming into last season.

To further drive it home, though, looking heading into Year 3 for him and looking onward, I’d expect Sexton to set the tone for Cleveland’s other young guys with how he’s made such significant strides throughout his first two seasons.

It’s nice to know that Okoro, for one, reportedly has a well-established relationship with Sexton with them both having grown up in the Atlanta area, and the former is said to have a Sexton-esque work ethic as well. As a Cavs fan, that’s refreshing to know, too, with both projecting to feasibly be core pieces from this point forward for the Wine and Gold.

Moreover, with training camp set to begin on Tuesday for the 2020-21 season, which is set to start for the NBA on Dec. 22, it’s a plus that Sexton’s commitment level/drive and infectious energy will help set the right example for the Cavs’ youngsters.

Sexton would seem ready to take on more of a vocal leadership role next season overall, too, with how Tristan Thompson is no longer on Cleveland, for instance, and Sexton has reportedly started to do so.

Sexton seems to have grown so close with guys like Kevin Love and Larry Nance Jr., too, which should help their chemistry on the floor as well.