2 things Cavs fans should want to see from Collin Sexton next season
By Jay Wilhelm
Cleveland Cavaliers fans should be excited for the growth of Collin Sexton.
Last year’s leading scorer on the Cleveland Cavaliers, in Collin Sexton, is heading into his third year in the NBA. The 6-foot-1, 192-pound guard out of Alabama, who was selected eighth overall by the Cavs in the 2018 draft and averaged 20.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game last year, is looking to make some big strides this upcoming season in other parts of his game.
Sexton, who turns 22 in early January, is really good off the dribble and will most likely see a production increase this year.
Team success for him and for the overall group is the continued focus going forward, though. Cleveland finished at the bottom of the Central Division last season at 19-46, and were in the basement of the Eastern Conference in 2019-20.
That said, the Cavs were playing better leading into the past season’s novel coronavirus-induced hiatus, with a record of 5-6 under then-new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. And Sexton was on quite a tear in that stretch as well with 25.5 points per outing in that stretch, but with the Cavs then not having been an Orlando-area bubble team, the past season was cut short.
Fortunately, the Wine and Gold are back soon, and on Saturday, their first preseason action tips off against the Indiana Pacers, the squad they’ll again play on Monday. Following that, the Cavs wrap up preseason play with two games at the New York Knicks.
For Sexton, though, it was rough for him to have reportedly suffered a minor ankle injury on Wednesday, per Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, on Friday. That was an ankle twist, and he won’t be in action for Saturday’s preseason opener, albeit that was clearly “precautionary,” per Fedor, and it would appear that he could very well be in action in other preseason outings.
But in a general sense, what should fans want to see from Sexton in those preseason outings, and in the regular season, assuming when he is able to go, then?
We’ll highlight that in regards to the third-year Cavs guard here.
The first thing has to do do with him demonstrating growth as a leader.