We all know this was a season of growth and development for the Cleveland Cavaliers. That’s why GM Koby Altman hired John Beilein as the coach, a guy with a reputation for teaching young players how to do it.
Cleveland had three first round picks in 2019, and used them on Darius Garland, Dylan Windler, and Kevin Porter Jr. That trio, along with 2018 lottery pick Collin Sexton, were supposed to be the foundation for future success.
We don’t disagree with the drafting of Sexton and Garland, two smaller guards, in the last two years because we believe in the taking the past available player especially when you are a rebuilding team, and it seemed (at the time!) they were doing just that.
However, Sexton has fallen far short of expectations, and apparently is driving his teammates crazy in the process.
Right now, according to Basketball References’ VORP (Value Over Replacement Player), Sexton is the worst player who was drafted in 2018, just behind Kevin Knox of the Knicks, who was drafted right after him, and was a guy many people in Cleveland wanted the Cavs to pick.
The best players picked after Sexton, who was chosen 8th overall are New York’s Mitchell Robinson (36th), Mikal Bridges (10th), and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (11th).
First, we think Sexton has some talent, and he certainly has a good work ethic. By all accounts the Cavs’ management had to lock him out of the practice facility or he would not have left.
However, he may have the problem that plagued Michael Jordan’s early career with the Bulls, he feels the best option on every possession is himself. That differs from the way John Beilein has said he wants his team to play.
Beilein preaches ball movement, and too often Sexton falls in love with his dribble and looks for his own shot.
His three point shot percentage has dropped from 40% last season to 30% this season, although his overall percentage has risen to 45% from 43% in 2018-19.
And while he no longer is the primary point guard, he ranks fifth on the team in assists per game, behind a power forward in Kevin Love, and Matthew Dellavedova, who plays 18 minutes less per game.
He also has the second worst defensive rating on the team ahead of only Garland. That speaks to the Cavs being a bad defensive team and also being the smallest team in the NBA.
The biggest issue is the fit. Where does Collin Sexton fit on the Cavaliers, not this season, but for the future. Is he a foundation piece for the organization?
Playing the way he has this season, we would say no. We would rather have the ball in Garland’s hands, as he seems like a willing passer, eager to set up teammates.
Can Sexton change? Of course, he just turned 21 years old, but when is he going to “get it”? Part of Beilein being here is to teach the young guys how to play the game of basketball, right now, it doesn’t appear like Sexton is getting the message.
The emergence of Kevin Porter Jr. plays into this as well. Porter is really a #2 guard, and plays well together with Garland. Is there enough playing time to go around for all three players? Perhaps Sexton fits best as a sixth man.
Does Sexton have a future in Cleveland? It will be interesting to see if Altman would be willing to move him before the trading deadline. Certainly, everyone in the organization needs to start seeing some progress.
Young players are supposed to get better in their second season. We are still waiting to see some improvement.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 