Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 Players set for breakout seasons in 2019-20

1. Collin Sexton

In his rookie season, Collin Sexton stood tall against a difficult task. Brought in as the first major piece to a massive rebuild, the Cleveland Cavaliers had high expectations for the Young Bull.

His learning curve was steep, but Sexton showed resilience and will to improve that not many young players have. Even when playing under unfair circumstances in which his team was plummeting towards the bottom of the NBA rankings, Sexton did his best to keep his head above water.

He struggled in stretches of the season, but towards the end of his rookie year, Sexton had hit his stride as a quality scorer who could consistently get buckets. Sexton reached his peak when he became the first rookie since Tim Duncan to score 23 or more points in seven consecutive games.

Seven-game stretch from Sexton

• CLE @ MIA: 27 points, 11-17 FG (3-5 3P)
• CLE vs. TOR: 28 points, 10-18 FG (4-7 3P)
• CLE @ PHI: 26 points, 11-20 FG (4-7 3P)
• CLE @ ORL: 23 points, 7-16 FG (2-7 3P)
• CLE @ DAL: 28 points, 10-16 FG (4-7 3P)
• CLE vs. DET: 27 points, 10-16 FG (5-6 3P)
• CLE vs. MIL: 25 points, 10-18 FG (4-7 3P)

His 3-point shooting stroke was one of the biggest questions around his game before being drafted. However, his outside shooting became his greatest strength, breaking the franchise rookie record for total 3-pointers in a rookie season with 119.

Another area of concern for Sexton was his playmaking. As a score-first point guard, Sexton rarely looked to set up his teammates. As the season progressed, Sexton made an effort to learn what it means to run an offense. In the final game of this rookie campaign, the Young Bull recorded a career-high 10 assists.

Whenever it felt like Sexton needed to improve something, he would promptly begin to work on that aspect of his game. Whether it be his 3-point shooting or his playmaking ability, Collin took major steps forward by the end of the 2018-19 NBA season.

Despite having a bumpy start to his career, Sexton earned a spot on the All-Rookie Second Team. If his constant improvement last season was any indication of what to expect, we should see an even better version of Sexton this year.