Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 keys to Collin Sexton’s recent surge

Over the past six games, the Cleveland Cavaliers Collin Sexton has gone from a solid young player to a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate. Here’s how.

Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Collin Sexton didn’t need to drill the dagger 3-pointer with 39.6 seconds left against the Detroit Pistons on Monday night. Cleveland, already up four points, probably still would’ve won even if he’d missed; it just put their 126-119 victory out of reach.

But everything about it was so perfect. His perfect crossover on Reggie Jackson. His perfect release before the perfectly crisp sound of the net as the ball passes through the cylinder.

And the way Cavs play-by-play man Fred McLeod belted, “Collin Sexton has gone video game!” Perfect.

It was the perfect moment to cap a perfect 11 days for a rookie who has played in every game of a very imperfect season.

His performance over the past six games is turning heads. Sexton erupted for 20-plus points in each of those games, breaking a Cleveland rookie record set by some guy named LeBron James. He averaged 26.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game during the stretch while shooting a whopping 55.7 percent from the floor.

It be easy for Sexton to get down. He’s endured each of the team’s 53 losses this year as the only Cavalier to play in all 71 of the team’s games, yet he’s remained steadfast. Sexton’s 62 games with at least 10 points are the most by any rookie.

His work is drawing national attention to the Cavaliers during a rebuilding year. CBS Sports recently put Sexton at the top of their weekly rookie power rankings. Hoops Habit‘s own Tony Pesta says he should be somewhere in the Rookie of the Year conversation. Other NBA point guards are impressed by his play.

There is something special brewing in Cleveland, and it’s not just the the tasty drafts at the popular Cleveland Brew Shop on Lorain Avenue. It’s the point guard slicing and dicing defenders at Quicken Loans Arena. Here are three keys behind Sexton’s recent surge.

3. Score-first mindset

Sexton has 16 or more field goal attempts in each his past six games. It’s an uptick from his average of 14.3 field goal attempts per game for the season. Offsetting more shots is a slight dip in his assist numbers, from 2.9 per game on the season to 2.3 a night during this stretch. Basically, Sexton is passing less, shooting more and scoring more points.

It’s a double-edged sword.

Yes, you want your point guard playing aggressively. The Russell Westbrooks and Damian Lillards catalyze two of the top-10 scoring teams in the league. But both average more than six assists per game, with Westbrook leading the NBA in that category.

The one knock on Sexton’s outstanding streak is he is only averaging 2.3 assists per game. Then again, he’s shooting 55.7 percent since March 8. Most coaches would probably give him the green light every possession.

That seems to be head coach Larry Drew‘s perspective. He recently labeled Sexton as a “score-first” point guard with no reserves about it. His teammates seem to be on board, which a visibly exhausted Sexton gave them kudos for their support following the Pistons game.

All seems hunky dory for now. Let’s see how everyone feels when — or if — Sexton cools off.

2. Better shot selection

Sexton’s effective field goal percentage is skyrocketing in March. He’s shooting fewer mid-range jumpers — a shot that was his crutch early in the season — and attacking the rim. When he’s not beelining to the basket, Sexton is comfortably rising over defenders for 3-pointers.

Prior to Monday’s game, Sexton attempted only 20 shots between 10 feet and the 3-point line out of 141 field attempts during March games. That’s means about 93 percent of his shots this month are either 3s or around the paint. It’s a great percentage.

Out of his 1,016 field goal attempts this season, 140 are from NBA’s no man’s land, so Sexton is shooting 13.7 percent of his shots from mid-range. But this month, he’s shooting 7.0 percent of his shots from that distance. The improved efficiency must certainly be playing a role in his increased scoring.

https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1107812369693138944

Early-season Sexton would have dribbled maybe a step or two inside the arc and lobbed a tightly guarded jumper. With added confidence, he rises over defenders playing passively, who are concerned about being beaten off the dribble.

Of course, Sexton can still make the difficult shots. Like this, ahem, “sexy” layup that should have given him style points.

In any case, the high-risk, low-reward attempts are dwindling.

1. Improved outside shooting

Once a major question mark, Sexton’s outside shot is a now a lethal weapon. He’s drilled 22-of-39 from deep (56.4 percent) during his six-game surge — a number that seems near impossible. Rarely does anyone east of Oakland go on a tear like that.

Sexton’s consistency we talked about earlier, the ability to give full effort every game, is most admirable, but his improved outside shooting is most notable. Four times during that stretch, he drilled at least 50 percent of his shots, with four 3-pointers in three of those games. He only hit four deep balls once prior to March.

Before the NBA Draft, scouts noted the same weakness in Sexton’s game; his outside shot was streaky and unreliable. Everything else was big stage-ready on draft day. So the franchise point guard, like he’s done his entire basketball life, lived in the gym this past summer and it appears to have paid off.

CBS Sports’ Collin Ward-Henninger chopped up a couple of Sexton’s highlights, noting the “Young Bull” is driving more frequently and effectively. In turn, defenders are giving him more space from range.

Few predicted Sexton would be dynamic from deep. No one could have foreseen him smashing Kyrie Irving‘s record for 3-pointers made by a Cavs rookie.

In today’s NBA, a point guard’s career can be derailed  by a poor outside shot. Jonny Flynn failed to shoot above 35 percent from deep and was out of the league in three seasons. The same may occur with Dante Exum and Trey Burke, fellow guards selected in the top 10 that haven’t panned out yet.

Meanwhile, point guards like Stephen Curry and Kemba Walker are redefining the position. Sexton appears to be cut from the same cloth as the latter two.