Colin gets the Zach Lowe treatment. Very good and thoughtful analysis as usual from Lowe. A balanced take, honest about the pluses and minuses. I agree with him that Colin's three point shooting ability is a huge deal, the most indispensable element to offensive success in the modern NBA and Colin has it. Beyond that, his raw energy and ferocity combined with a developing offensive savvy does give a lot of cause for optimism.
For videos, click on the link and see Item 3, "It's Time to Talk About Colin Sexton"
3. It's time to talk about Collin Sexton
Sexton is kinda starting to happen. His 3-point shooting -- up to 42 percent -- has been a slow-burn shocker. It began with Sexton canning open 3-pointers when defenders ignored him, or ducked 10 feet below screens. He had time to check the wind. Skeptics shrugged.
He kept hitting those, even as defenders at least waved at him. Now, he's dribbling into 3s when defenders chase him over screens. He's even daring the occasional step-back, and he buried both Detroit and Milwaukee this week with daggers.
He's also showing some nascent feel on the pick-and-roll. He is already good at faking toward picks, getting defenders leaning that way, then jetting the other direction. He's learning to slow down, pin defenders on his back, and give his big man time to roll into an open passing lane. If no other option appears, Sexton snaps into a soft floater:
If downshifting reveals a driving lane -- if, say, it tricks a help defender into expecting a pass -- Sexton engages turbo gear:
That is a barely 6-foot guy finishing
through Andre Drummond. Playing with
Kevin Love again has helped; the Cavs have outscored opponents by 2.6 points per 100 possessions when Love and Sexton play together, per NBA.com.
Sexton remains a train wreck on defense. His score-first approach has annoyed teammates. He still isn't creating enough for others, leaving the Cavs a little puzzled over what sort of perimeter players they need alongside him long term. But this change-of-pace guile is promising precisely because it is Sexton prodding far enough to create passing lanes instead of settling for 20-foot bricks that create none. The next steps are anticipating those passing lanes, and exploiting them.
Beyond that, there is just something to like about Sexton. He is fearless, and the best kind of cocky. I sat courtside in Philly last Friday as an undermanned Cleveland team battled the Sixers to the final buzzer. Philly was visibly disinterested. That annoyed and emboldened the Cavs, especially Sexton. They wanted to punish the Sixers for their arrogance.
Sexton scored 26 in that game, and he demanded the ball on every crunch-time possession. He genuinely did not think any Sixer could stop him. He plays with a ferocious opportunism a little reminiscent of
Russell Westbrook:
That is almost the reverse of a Kobe Assist -- a basket most point guards would not think to hunt. Sexton has the sort of spirit a team can rally around, provided he improves his passing.
Sexton is a long way from being even average for his position. But his first-year trajectory has been encouraging.