Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 reasons Collin Sexton was a good pick

3. Sexton is a playmaker

Collin Sexton is the backcourt playmaker that LeBron James wants, and that Kevin Love needs.

When LeBron has been most successful, he’s had an elite scoring guard alongside him who can alleviate some of the playmaking pressure and give the team another go-to option in crunch time. In Miami, it was Dwyane Wade. For the first three years of LeBron’s second Cleveland stint, it was Kyrie Irving.

This past season it was supposed to be Isaiah Thomas, but he was hampered by a hip injury and only lasted 15 games with the Cavs before being traded in February. It appeared Cleveland tried to get some of that playmaking ability from deadline acquisition Jordan Clarkson, but he proved ineffective when he was needed most.

Sexton is a dynamic offensive weapon who can score (19.2 points per game), though he still needs to work on his ability to create for others (3.6 assists per game). He’s not particularly big at 6’2″ but he’s quick, strong, athletic and aggressive. He also seems to play better when the stakes are higher. He scored 27 and 31 points in his first two SEC Tournament games, then had 25 points with six assists in Alabama’s opening round NCAA Tournament game.

If the Cavs lose LeBron and choose to build around All-Star power forward Kevin Love, then Sexton is still very valuable. A point guard who can make things happen off the dribble and find Love in the post and on the perimeter is part of the formula for a successful team with Love as the headliner.