Cleveland Cavaliers: Collin Sexton building his case for Rookie of the Year

By Tony Pesta | Nov 26, 2018

CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 24: James Ennis III #8 of the Houston Rockets gurus Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena on November 24, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Rockets 117-108. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

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Cleveland Cavaliers Collin Sexton (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Comparing him to other rookies

Now, it’s time to compare Collin Sexton to the rest of the 2018 NBA Draft class. As of now, Sexton ranks fourth in points per game among all rookies, behind only Luka Doncic, Deandre Ayton and Trae Young.

Of these players, Sexton plays the fewest minutes per game (27.6) but shoots the best percentage from the 3-point line (46.4 percent) and the second-best percentage from the field overall (46.8 percent). Despite being criticized for his low assist numbers, Collin also ranks fifth among all rookies for assists per game.

All of these numbers are including the first 10 games of the season in which Sexton struggled mightily and played a low amount of minutes. If we only counted his games as a starter, Collin would be averaging the most points per game of any rookie while also shooting better percentages from the field than any other guard with at least 20 shot attempts.

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When looking at these numbers, it’s obvious that Sexton has forced his name into the Rookie of the Year conversation. He is still likely trailing behind players such as Luka Doncic and Trae Young, but he is currently on pace to surpass them. I expect to see Sexton continue to improve as the season progresses and potentially walk away with the award.

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