The Cleveland Cavaliers know the importance of the point guard position. Taking Kyrie Irving first overall gave them the future co-star to LeBron James, a player who would hit the biggest shot in Cavaliers franchise history.
Perhaps seeking to replicate that return, they took a point guard with their first lottery pick post-LeBron James. Collin Sexton was the eighth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. One year later the Cavaliers went back to the well, taking Darius Garland with the fifth overall pick. In the two seasons since they have tried both guards out as the full-time point guard, looking for the combination that works best.
Knowing what you have tells you what you need. The Cleveland Cavaliers have to examine their roster to identify what to do in the NBA Draft and free agency.
Because of that investment, the Cavaliers have both important questions to be answered as well as a lack of immediate pressure. Cleveland is rebuilding, and as much as they might want to get back into the playoff mix soon, they have holes to fill up-and-down the roster in order to do so.
The Cavaliers will have to decide if one of those holes is at point guard, but they have time to do so. Collin Sexton and Darius Garland are both on their rookie contracts, and their draft equity and play thus far has bought them time to show the organization they can develop.
Does the organization need to make an addition to the position this offseason? Can they rely on what they have? What are the strengths of the current point guards on the roster, and what needs to be improved upon? These questions need to be answered before the offseason so that the Cavaliers know what they have and what they need.
Evaluating the state of the PG position: Who is on the roster?
Over the course of the 2020-21 NBA season, seven different players spent time at the point guard position for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Of those seven players five are not under contract with the Cavaliers for next season. Longtime franchise favorite Matthew Dellavedova has signed a contract to play in Australia’s NBL, while Dante Exum was traded early in the season and Yogi Ferrell, Quinn Cook and Jeremiah Martin all were on temporary two-way contracts during the year.
That leaves Collin Sexton and Darius Garland. Sexton, the eighth selection in the 2018 NBA Draft, came into the league as an on-ball point guard and played that almost exclusively through two seasons. This past year he began playing shooting guard when he was paired with Garland, effectively splitting his minutes this year between the 1 and the 2.
Darius Garland just completed his second season in the league, the fifth pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Vanderbilt. In his rookie year the Cavaliers tried him out at 2-guard, likely because of his shooting ability, but moved him to point this past year and saw better results.
Sexton is under contract for $6.3 million next season in the fourth year of his rookie deal, and will be extension eligible this summer. Garland is entering the third season of his deal, but given that he was a higher pick he actually makes slightly more than Sexton, bringing in $7 million next year.
On the roster: Darius Garland (starter), Collin Sexton
Evaluating the state of the PG position: Strengths
Collin Sexton and Darius Garland have very different games, but their sheer combined presence is this team’s biggest strength at the position. The Cleveland Cavaliers can count on 48 minutes of reliable point guard play, with Sexton running the point whenever Garland is on the bench.
It also builds in redundancy for when one of the two is injured or otherwise unable to play. Sexton was much better this past season playing the 2, but that could also be a function of the Cavaliers not having as many wings to fill in with those lineups. In balance, per Cleaning the Glass Sexton played 47 percent of his minutes at point guard; Garland played 100 percent of his at the point.
More from King James Gospel
- 3 possible starting lineups for Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023-24
- The Cavaliers may have snagged a hidden gem in Craig Porter Jr.
- 4 players the Cavaliers should pursue in 2024 free agency
- 6 players Cavaliers might replace Jarrett Allen with by the trade deadline
- This stat is one to keep an eye on for Cavaliers’ Max Strus in years ahead
Many teams have to deal with point guards who strangle the spacing of their teams. That could mean dynamic starters with an inconsistent shot (think Ja Morant on the Memphis Grizzlies) or rotation players with more pronounced strengths and weaknesses (TJ McConnell of the Indiana Pacers, or Markelle Fultz of the Orlando Magic).
Not so with the Cavaliers, as Sexton is a career 38.5 percent shooter from outside and Garland has hit 37.4 of his attempts, both above league average. Both are at least competent passers, with Garland growing significantly in that area this past season given increased opportunity.
Finally, the age of both Sexton and Garland contributes two more strengths. First, at least for this next season, both are relatively inexpensive. The Cavaliers’ two best perimeter players for next season are under contract for a combined $13.4 million, just 12 percent of next year’s cap.
The other benefit is further development. Sexton just played his age 22 seasons, and Garland his age 21 season. They have plenty of road left to improve as players, as both of them have to this point. Sexton is particular is a relentless worker, and Garland was just recognized as one of the most impressive players on USA Basketball’s Select Team.
Strengths: Shooting, Contracts, Youth, Redundancy
Evaluating the state of the PG position: Needs
Collin Sexton, if you don’t count the hair, stands 6’1″ tall. Darius Garland is likewise listed at 6’1″. That reality immediately starts this team out at a disadvantage, as the combination is among the shortest starting backcourts in the league.
If both were defensive-minded even at their size, it’s possible the pairing could work with the right personnel around them. That is not the case, as Garland is an absolute sieve on defense and Sexton brings effort but not the best technique.
Zooming in on minutes at the point specifically, that means that on most nights the vast majority of minutes at point guard are being taken by negative defenders. With Garland playing 100 percent of his minutes at point guard this season, that means most of those minutes are taken by an extremely negative defender.
That’s the biggest need for the Cavaliers this offseason, a backup point guard who can reasonably defend while on the court. They ostensibly had that last season with Matthew Dellavedova, but Delly played just 13 games due to injury and is signing a multi-year contract to play in the NBL.
The Cavaliers also don’t have a high-level passer at point guard. Sexton has proven below average in this area, and while Garland is still growing in this area he is never going to be Steve Nash. Teams such as the Phoenix Suns have two elite passers, but Cleveland has none.
Needs: Defense, passing, reliable backup option
Evaluating the state of the PG position: Offseason Plan
The Cleveland Cavaliers have to add at least one point guard option this offseason to replace Delly on the roster. With their veteran point guard injured last season the Cavs cycled through a number of options on 10-day contracts.
Given Sexton and Garland’s youth and the areas in which they struggle, addressing that backup role with a veteran player seems like the right play. Depending on how they want to allocate their resources, that could be using the mid-level exception on a player such as T.J. McConnell or going for a veteran’s minimum guy such as D.J. Augustin or Raul Neto.
Another option is taking one in the NBA Draft. With the third pick the Cavaliers would most likely have the option to draft Gonzaga lead guard Jalen Suggs, who at 6’4″ would instantly add size to the backcourt. If the team concludes he has a higher upside than Garland or Sexton that might be worth pulling the trigger and moving one of them later on.
The Cavaliers have other needs to meet, especially on the wing, so it’s more likely they go in a different direction at the top of the draft. But in addition to adding a veteran option as a backup, the team should also invest in a younger option on a two-way deal. That could mean trading back into the second round, or finding a guy who goes undrafted.
Point guard is arguably the position where the Cavaliers are the most set for the future. Darius Garland is just 21 and still has solid upside, and even if the Cavaliers decided to move on from him somehow they could move Sexton back to the 1. With other needs at other positions, they will likely make small moves to fill out their bench options here without making a major splash.
The Cavaliers might have a future star point guard on their roster, or they might realize they need to improve the position down the line. For now, however, it’s probably the strongest position on the roster. Given the investment the team has made at the position, how Sexton and Garland grow over the next few years may in fact decide the future of the franchise.