Cavs rookie Collin Sexton has proven to be an efficient scorer of late. In fact, he has racked up 20 or more points in each of his last five outings. Some view the Young Bull as a score-first kind of point guard, including Cleveland head coach Larry Drew. This label might annoy some players, but Sexton says he’s okay with it.
Sexton, who the Cavs selected with the No. 8 pick in last year’s draft, is indeed a scoring point guard. However, he also knows when it’s time to facilitate:
“I’m OK with it,” Sexton told cleveland.com, referring to his score-first label. “But when it’s time for me to get into facilitating mode and I see Kevin (Love) and a few others haven’t touched the ball in a long time, have to make sure that I turn my scoring off and make sure I get them involved because we go as far as Kevin takes us. If Kevin is scoring, then they have to play him and it opens up so much for everybody else.”
Sexton wasn’t a starter at the outset of this season, but a rash of backcourt injuries led him to that role just 11 games in. And though the Cavs (17-53 and fifth in the Central Division standings) won’t be in the playoffs this season, it’s clear that his game has developed in many ways, especially from the perimeter. Through 18 days of March, he has posted a 44 percent mark from downtown:
Several Cavs players have been mentoring Sexton this season, including Channing Frye. Does he care that Sexton has been labeled as a score-first point guard?
“Heck, no,” Frye told cleveland.com. “Who’s a pass-first guard now? Then if he’s a pass-first guard he can’t shoot. I’ll take a shooter. I’ll take some scoring, obviously.”
In 70 appearances with the Cavs this season, Sexton has racked up averages of 15.9 points on 41.7 percent shooting from the field (40.2 percent from beyond the arc), 3.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 31.0 minutes per outing.
Sexton and the Cavs will be back in action on Monday night, when they’ll serve as hosts to the Detroit Pistons. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. with FOX Sports Ohio having live broadcast coverage.