Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 reasons Collin Sexton should become sixth man

1. A more focused role for Sexton

Much like Darius Garland, Collin Sexton is at his best when he is asked to score the ball. He proved last season to be a strong offensive weapon, putting up 23.1 points per game in the final 17 games of the season. Of course, he isn’t much of a playmaker at all. Sexton averaged just 3.0 assists per game in his rookie season, ranking among the worst of all starting guards.

When looking back through NBA history, there aren’t many cases in which a player came into the league as a below-average passer and drastically improved in that area. In many ways, playmaking is something you either have or don’t have in your repertoire.

Combine this with the fact that Garland suffers from the same weaknesses as Sexton and we have an obvious problem on our hands. If Sexton and Garland are on the floor together, who is the No. 1 option? Should one of them look to create plays, or is Cleveland going to run a lineup with zero facilitators?

Of course, this could all be solved with one simple solution: Have Sexton come off the bench. In a sixth man role, he wouldn’t have to worry about anything other than scoring. This should bring out the best in Sexton, allowing him to focus solely on what he is best at rather than attempting to be something he isn’t.

With all of this being said, Sexton might prove to be more valuable than a sixth man. It’s possible that Garland doesn’t live up to his hype. If this happens, the roles could easily be reversed. As of now though, the Cavaliers may be better off giving the keys to Garland to start the season.