Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 reasons Darius Garland is the right pick
By Tony Pesta
2. Allows them to reset the rebuild
The Cleveland Cavaliers have now drafted point guards in back-to-back NBA Drafts. Not only that, but both of these selections came within the top 10. For most teams, this would look like a redundant move. In the Cavaliers’ case, it gives them a free pass to initiate a new rebuild.
Collin Sexton was far from a disappointment last season. Drafted before the fate of LeBron James was certain, Sexton became the first major piece to the Cavaliers’ inevitable rebuild. Carrying a heavy load for a player of his age (19 years old when drafted), Sexton was asked to do a lot. He lived up to his expectations, playing in all 82 games, averaging 16.2 points a night and being named to the All-Rookie Second Team.
While it appears that Sexton has gotten this rebuild off to a good start, there is always the possibility that he isn’t good enough to continue carrying the torch. There’s also the likelihood that Darius Garland would simply be the better fit for Cleveland moving forward. Of course, the opposite could be true as well.
Regardless of who stands out this season, the Cavaliers will have the chance to trade either Garland or Sexton in order to acquire more assets and begin the rebuilding process once again. If Garland ends up outperforming Sexton, the Cavs could ship Sexton to a different team and use his value to package more talent around Garland.