Cleveland Cavaliers: Collin Sexton could be the next franchise player

After lighting up the NBA’s summer league, Collin Sexton could be the next franchise player for the Cleveland Cavaliers

Collin Sexton always said how much he wanted to play with LeBron James.

Obviously, that won’t happen now with The King in LA, but with James out of Cleveland, Sexton has the opportunity to turn into Cleveland’s next franchise star.

Sexton was an offensive force in the NBA Summer League, averaging 19.6 points per game while also collecting 3.4 assists per game. The 19-year-old also shot 48 percent from the field. At just 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Sexton isn’t the biggest player on the court. But his pure athleticism and quickness speak for themselves.

Style of play

Sexton was one of the most impactful players in the Summer League in Vegas and could be the best athlete to come out of the 2018 draft class. He was an offensive threat every time he touched the ball, using his creative handles and speed to get by defenders and convert at the rim.

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He didn’t shoot a lot of 3-pointers in the seven games played in Vegas; instead, he got inside to the hoop very often. Sexton was very creative at the rim too, hitting several reverse layups or two pointers as he was falling down. Sexton plays very aggressive and isn’t afraid of contact. When he did shoot the ball from downtown, he showed glimpses of talent. It’s a part of his game that is a work in progress.

His shooting ability from inside the paint was very impressive though. Sexton has a quick, fluid shooting motion and can pull up and hit a jumper on a dime. His creativity and basketball IQ is very high.

Sexton also showed that he is outstanding on the fast break. He caught opposing defenses off guard numerous times and would take the ball from end to end and either score on his own, or dish it off to a teammate.

The Summer League was only seven games so we didn’t really get to see a lot from Sexton, but the little bit he did show was very impressive and should have Cavaliers fans excited. He’s a great scorer, but Sexton is also a superior playmaker. He’s very good at creating lanes to the hoop and then finding a teammate in space for an open look or an easy layup at the rim.

The 6-foot-2 guard is freakishly explosive whether the ball is in his hands or not. Everything Sexton does on the court is quick and powerful. He’s always playing 110 percent at all times, whether it’s the first quarter or the fourth. It’s the type of player the Cavs need, and with LeBron gone, Sexton will see a lot of minutes this season.

Defensively, Sexton is a pest and plays very gritty. Again, his quickness comes into play. Not many players have shown the ability to get by him. He could turn into the type of defender who could register a healthy amount of steals at the NBA level after some time thanks to his great athleticism and fast hands.

How does he fit in with the Cavs?

The only other point guard that will see playing time along with Sexton is George Hill. But expect to see the rookie guard receive a lot of minutes. He has all the makings to be a very good NBA player, and could honestly be a possible candidate for rookie of the year in 2018-19. I know it’s early to predict something like that but he was one of the most exciting rookies this summer and showed a lot of promise.

Sexton is not afraid of the big moment. He is an absolute gamer and has the talent, work ethic, and mentality to turn into a star in Cleveland. It will be interesting to see if Sexton could lead the Cavs to a possible seventh or eighth seed playoff spot at the end of the 2018-19 campaign.