Cavs: Collin Sexton drops to 11th in 2018 NBA Redraft

When the Cleveland Cavaliers made the difficult decision to trade Kyrie Irving in the midst of their run of contention, one of the assets they got back was a first-round draft pick belonging to the Brooklyn Nets. That pick ended up landing eighth in the 2018 NBA Draft, where the Cavs took Alabama point guard Collin Sexton.

At the time, Sexton was the second point guard taken, with Trae Young going a few picks earlier to the Atlanta Hawks at pick No. 5. Deandre Ayton led the way, followed by Marvin Bagley III and Luka Doncic to round out the top three.

With the gift of hindsight, we can look back at the past three seasons and have a better understanding of the value of certain players. To that end, over at our sister site Hoops Habit I redrafted the entire first round of the 2018 NBA Draft. Collin Sexton went 11th in the redraft to the Charlotte Hornets.

Collin Sexton fell three spots to 11th in the 2018 NBA Redraft. Why did that happen, and how does the Cavs guard climb back up the rankings?

Some of the players who went above Collin Sexton are no-brainers, even for his staunchest supporters. Luka Doncic has been undeniable as an offensive hub for the Dallas Mavericks, making two All-NBA teams in his first three seasons. Trae Young and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have been offensive marvels at point guard, excelling in scoring and setting up their teammates to score. Michael Porter Jr. has the size to play any frontcourt position but can score smoothly from anywhere on the court.

After those players, some other players stand out as having accomplished more than Sexton to this point in his career. Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges both went in the top six of the redraft, as did Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies.

At this point, we are back to the eighth pick, where Sexton originally went to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Three players go from 8-10 before Sexton arrives at 11. Sexton is clearly a more prolific scoring threat than any of these players, averaging 20.2 points per game, significantly more than any of them can boast.

Ultimately what pushed Sexton down the board is his versatility in fitting into different situations; some might call it his “scalability.” On a team where the ball is placed in his hands and he is allowed to break down defenses, he can score with reasonable efficiency and set up his teammates at a decent rate. He’s not a point guard, but his passing abilities have slowly grown over his young career.

Yet if Sexton is on a team where he isn’t the primary offensive option, his strengths begin to lose their potency, and his weaknesses come more to bear. Sexton is just 6’1″ tall and has struggled to make a defensive impact outside of a few steals. Estimated Plus-Minus, to name one stat, placed him in the 16th percentile leaguewide in defensive impact last season. The players who went above Sexton can fit onto more teams and play more roles than Sexton.

Ultimately it’s the strength of this draft class that shines through, as Sexton would absolutely be worth the eighth pick in many drafts. For now he slots at 11th, going to the LA Clippers where he could have grown as the heir to Lou Williams or potentially been traded (as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Clippers’ original pick at 11, was) to the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he could be eating up as many touches as he could handle.

What does it look like for Sexton to reverse course and rise back up in future 2018 Redrafts? He will need to find ways to impact the game without the ball in his hands, whether that is growing as a cutter or a relocation shooters, or defensively becoming more sound. If he can improve his playmaking skills, as he has done step-by-step over his career thus far, he could be worthy of minutes at point guard, a role he has failed at to this point. At point guard his defensive deficiencies are more mitigated and he becomes a more valuable player.

Sexton is an incredibly talented player who has scored a lot of points in his career; only Doncic and Young have scored more total points. Yet he also has totaled just 5.4 win shares in three seasons, 19th in the class and just behind Orlando Magic center Mo Bamba. That’s partially a reflection of where the Cavaliers have been as a competitive team, but also a reflection of how Sexton drives winning. To this point in his career, he generally has not.

That could change, and Sexton has the talent to do so. The question is whether that happens with the Cavs, who have been considering trading him. Is he a good fit with the core they are building, or would he (and the Cavs) be better served if he played elsewhere? This redraft illustrates that Sexton’s landing spot, then and now, is not certain.

Do you agree with where Collin Sexton landed in the 2018 NBA Redraft? Should he have gone higher, or possibly even lower? Let us know what you think. There is no question Sexton has the potential to break out as a better player; will he make the leap?