Cavs have a whopping 5 options to start at shooting guard

Cavs options to start at shooting guard: Collin Sexton

Last season Collin Sexton was the team’s starter at shooting guard to start the season, a run that ended with his meniscus injury after just 11 games. Those lineups didn’t exactly fare well; per Cleaning the Glass, the Cavs were -4.2 points per 100 possessions when Sexton played overall, and only +2.1 when Sexton played with the other four starters. When those four players took the court without Sexton they were +13.1.

Sexton brings a relentless presence to any lineup he is in, and his ability to penetrate a defense and force rotations could help open up cracks for the rest of the starters to take advantage of. That being the case, Sexton hasn’t found a way to leverage that ability to find teammates consistently, and while his individual scoring is solid his impact on the Cavs’ offense generally isn’t.

Starting Sexton alongside Garland also brings defensive issues, as both are small and overall poor defensively. Sexton will ramp up the intensity level at times but it both doesn’t last and isn’t always the most disciplined approach to defense. Add in Markkanen at the 3, and the Cavs would be in a tough place even with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen on the back line.

At least someone like Cedi Osman or LeVert has size; Sexton and Garland together would be somewhat helpless, and their offensive fit isn’t perfect enough to make up the difference. Sexton has organizational standing and is a logical choice to start if he returns, but the team will almost certainly be better if he doesn’t.