Cleveland Cavaliers: Collin Sexton snubbed from Rising Stars Challenge

The teams for the 2019 NBA Rising Stars Challenge have been announced and Collin Sexton of the Cleveland Cavaliers has been snubbed of a roster spot.

Cleveland Cavaliers rookie point guard Collin Sexton will not be playing in the 2019 NBA Rising Stars Challenge. The Rising Stars game is a yearly showcase of the league’s best young talent and Sexton has been wrongfully left off of the roster.

Every year the NBA selects players in their rookie or sophomore season to compete against each other during All-Star weekend. In the past, this event pinned the rookies and sophomores against each other. However, now the NBA has opted to create two teams, one filled with American players and the other with foreign-born players.

As a result of this new system, it is easier for guys to be snubbed. For example, had this competition been strictly the 20 best young players in the league, Sexton may have earned a spot. Instead, Sexton’s chances were cut in half as he had to compete for 10 spots on the U.S. team and was ultimately deemed unworthy of a selection.

Only three rookie players were selected to the USA team, but five were chosen for the World roster. Trae Young, Marvin Bagley III and Jaren Jackson Jr. make up the rookie squad for team U.S. while Luka Doncic, Deandre Ayton, Shai Gilgeous-Alexandar, Rodions Kurucs and Josh Okogie fill up the World team.

The decision to leave Sexton off of the roster is a peculiar one. He’s been in the top five for both points and assists per game among all rookies for the entire 2018-19 season. Sexton has also scored in double-figures more times than any other rookie player outside of Luka Doncic, who is considered by many as the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year.

Looking at team U.S., it is arguable that Sexton could have deserved a spot over any of the players ahead of him. He’s averaging more points and assists than both Bagley and Jackson while being just behind Young for points and rebounds per game. On top of this, Sexton shoots the best 3-point percentage of the pack, shooting nearly 10 percent better than the next best rookie.

Unfortunately, the reason Sexton was unable to make the roster is likely due to the fact that there are multiple sophomore players that have been outstanding and also play the guard position. With Lonzo Ball, Donovan Mitchell and D’Aaron Fox all filling up the guard spots, Sexton’s only chance to make the team was to beat out Trae Young. While I believe Sexton was more deserving of this spot, Young has also been great and deserves his selection.

However, it is slightly unfair that Sexton will be forced to watch from the sideline while rookies for the World Team such as Kurucs and Okogie get to have their talents displayed. Both of these players are averaging under 10 points per game and would likely not have had a spot on the team if it were strictly a rookie vs. sophomore challenge.

Luckily, the Cavaliers will still be represented in this game by Cedi Osman. Osman has had a very productive season for the team, filled with a ton of growth and development. He is averaging 12.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game and has been playing the best basketball of his life recently.

So, even though the current system may cause players like Sexton to be snubbed from the event, the NBA is doing a good job of congratulating young talent all across the league while also celebrating its diversity and global. Every team and nationality gets a chance to be represented in the game. Hopefully, Collin Sexton will use this moment as motivation to improve and force his name into All-Star weekend next season.