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NBA Draft: Could Cavs have gone a different direction in 2018?

By Justin Brownlow

Guard Collin Sexton, who was then selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2018 NBA Draft, greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver. (Photo by Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)
Guard Collin Sexton, who was then selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2018 NBA Draft, greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver. (Photo by Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports) /
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Collin Sexton, Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton brings the ball up the floor. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Cavs: Looking back at the 2018 NBA Draft

To start off here, let’s be honest and say the 2018 NBA Draft, at least the top of it, has to be one of the best in league history. Deandre Ayton was taken first overall by the Phoenix Suns, who are two wins away from a title. The second and fourth picks were Marvin Bagley III and Jaren Jackson Jr., who are still a work in progress, but the progress looks good. Finally picks 3 and 5 were Luka Doncic and Trae Young.

I could go into detail about the trades that happened, but for now, let’s just call this group, the tier one of the 2018 NBA Draft, and Collin Sexton is nowhere near that tier.

Sexton was listed as a point guard when drafted, but at this point, he’s not a primary ball-handler. So for the sake of the article, let’s overlook the success that Michael Porter Jr. (14), Miles Bridges (12), and Mikal Bridges (10) have had, because they play completely different roles for their individual teams.

So going forward, let’s compare Sexton’s time in the league with guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Donte DiVincenzo, Kevin Huerter and Zhaire Smith.

Cavs: Sexton is an inferior player compared to Gilgeous-Alexander

The first thing you do when you look at the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft is you see that Sexton was taken eighth, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was taken 11th. Through the first two years of their careers, there is an argument to be made that Sexton was the better player. However, after this past year, it’s become clear that SGA is much better.

This year Gilgeous-Alexander scored almost 24 points per game, to go with six assists and five rebounds per game. On top of that he shot 42 percent from three, and had a 57 percent effective field goal percentage. In contrast, Sexton only shot 37 percent from three and had an effective field goal percentage of 52 percent. To pile on some more, Sexton has a really high usage rate of 29 percent, while also having a low assist rate.

Finally, if you watch Sexton and Gilgeous-Alexander, it’s clear the SGA is the superior guard, and a much better defender.