Last June, the Cleveland Cavaliers made Darius Garland the fifth overall pick in the NBA draft despite drafting a smaller guard the year before in Collin Sexton.
We’ve heard a few people compare the situation to 1987 when the Cavs traded for Mark Price after he was drafted by Dallas in the second round, and then GM Wayne Embry picked Kevin Johnson, another lead guard in the first round the following draft.
The difference is Price didn’t play a lot as a rookie, averaging just 18 minutes a night, and scored just 6.9 points and three assists, and shot just 41% from the floor behind John Bagley.
The next season, Price averaged 16 points, 6 assists, and shot 50% from the floor, and by mid-season, Johnson was traded to Phoenix in a package that netted the Cavs Larry Nance Sr. and Mike Sanders.
Nance was the missing piece Cleveland needed and they won 57 games the following year, being eliminated in the playoffs by “The Shot”.
With Garland and Sexton both drafted very high, the front office and coaching staff felt they needed to play the two guards together, even though they sacrificed size, with two under 6’2″ players in the backcourt.
John Beilein thought the pair could play together and perhaps they could have in college, but in the pro, it’s tough to play defense with a lack of height, even at guard.
Perhaps the better idea would have been to start Sexton, who improved as his rookie season progressed and pair him with a bigger #2 guard, and bring Garland off the bench, much like Johnson over 30 years ago.
Sexton, who has been widely criticized all season long (including here), seemed unsure of what he was supposed to do, being moved off the ball.
Since the end of January, the second year man from Alabama has averaged 24.2 points and 4.2 assists per game. Keep in mind, a year ago, Sexton averaged three dimes per contest.
Perhaps it was too much to expect two rookie guards to play effectively at the NBA level this early. It seems playing with veterans helps Sexton, and maybe not having to guard bigger off-guards all night helps his offense too.
This is not to denigrate Garland, but he’s 19-years-old and only played four games in college a year ago.
When you play with guys who have been around, and know how to move the basketball, like Kevin Love, Larry Nance, and Matthew Dellavedova, it becomes contagious, and you become a better passer too.
Sexton admitted when Beilein stepped down and J.B. Bickerstaff took over, that he looked inward and wondered if he needed to play better and play differently. He certainly has done just that.
If Sexton continues to play like he has in the last month, GM Koby Altman has a huge decision to make. Does he turn the keys to the offense over to Sexton and make a move with Garland?
The rookie is averaging 12.3 points and 3.9 assists per game, and he looks like he can play in the NBA. But Kevin Porter Jr. has scored 10 points and dished out 2.2 assists in seven less minutes per night, and he looks like a keeper too.
Resolving the backcourt may be the single most important decision the Cavs have to make this off-season. However, they may not get the value they want because of how they handled the 2019-20 season.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 