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Cleveland Cavaliers: Final evaluations and rookie/soph grades from 2019-20

By Tony Pesta

MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 22: Darius Garland #10 of the Cleveland Cavaliers in action against the Miami Heat during the first half at American Airlines Arena on February 22, 2020 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 22: Darius Garland #10 of the Cleveland Cavaliers in action against the Miami Heat during the first half at American Airlines Arena on February 22, 2020 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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Cleveland Cavaliers (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Cleveland Cavaliers (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Collin Sexton

Grade: B-

This was a season of growth for Collin Sexton. The Young Bull built off of a strong finish to his rookie season and solidified himself as a great offensive prospect moving forward. There are some major concerns to his game but he is carving out a specific role with the team that could be valuable.

Simple and plain, Sexton is a scorer. He is at his absolute best when he is given full freedom to command the offense and shoot at will. Sexton led the Cavaliers in scoring this season with an average of 20.8 points. The only sophomore players to score more points than Sexton this year were Luka Doncic and Trae Young. Both of whom shot a lower percentage from the field than Collin.

Sexton has obliterated any criticism of his shooting ability, which was his largest concern entering the draft. Though he began the season in a slump, likely due to the shock of playing alongside Garland, Sexton finished 2020 by shooting an absurd 44.9 percent on his 3-point attempts.

This stretch was capped off by an eight-game run in which Young Bull posted 28.1 points per game on 56.2 percent shooting. He scored a career-high 41 points against the second-seeded Boston Celtics shortly before the season ended.

light. Related Story. Cavaliers unlikely to return in 2020-21

At 21 years of age, Sexton has already shown us more than enough to know that he is a gifted offensive player. His speed alone makes him a threat, scoring a total of 256 points in transition this year; the 16th most in the NBA.

His work ethic has been widely respected and it’s impossible to deny his improvements. He averaged 4.1 assists per game after mid-January and began making passes that he wasn’t capable of before. Sexton will only get better as he continues to read the defense and kick out to open shooters.

Still, he is woefully bad on defense. All of the speed and heart in the world won’t make up for his lack of size. He has been the victim of pick-and-rolls all year long and will relentlessly be attacked by opponents for the foreseeable future.

The growth that we have seen from Sexton in his second season has all been good. At the least, he hasn’t regressed in any aspect. Sexton is proving his worth as a scorer but there is a lot left to be desired in terms of defense and playmaking. Even with his prolific finish to the season, he still finished with only 34 fewer turnovers than assists.

I think there is a valuable role for Sexton to fill at some point in the future. The comparisons to three-time Sixth Man of the Year winner, Lou Williams, seem most fitting. There is potential for Sexton to succeed as a starter for the Cavs but he might be most effective as a spark plug off the bench.

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