Sexton has been impressive during summer league play
The games LAS VEGAS — don’t mean anything and many of the players Collin Sexton’s faced so far in NBA Summer League won’t be out there when October rolls around.
But Sexton is off to a very, very good start for the Cavaliers.
Sexton, the eighth overall pick in June, had 25 points, seven assists and four rebounds in Cleveland’s 96-84 win over the Sacramento Kings in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Sexton has scored 46 points in the Cavs’ past two games and is averaging 18.8 ppg.
This is the tournament portion of summer league, so the Cavs advanced to play the Rockets at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
Speaking of the Rockets, one of the established, AllStar vets who gives Sexton advice is Houston’s Chris Paul.
Paul has an AAU team, and in the summer of 2016 Sexton and the Chicago Bulls Wendell Carter Jr. (drafted one slot ahead of Sexton at No. 7) led Paul’s U17 team to a championship here in Vegas.
“Chris Paul is a guy I can talk to about different stuff, especially when I played on his team,” Sexton said Wednesday. “He’s been helping me a lot through all of this. The draft process and everything. He’s been a big help.”
Whomever Sexton asks for advice, he should keep asking. It’s working.
Sexton, who is 19, is shooting 28 of 59 from the field in four games and has shown an effective midrange pull-up jumper. The knock on Sexton coming out of Alabama was a jumper that needs improving.
Sexton’s speed and ability to get into the lane have been on full display. He was 7 of 9 from the line against the Kings, and Cavs summer coach James Posey said Sexton will benefit more when he’s playing with the real pros during the regular season because there is more floor spacing.
“Collin’s been very good,” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue told The Plain Dealer. “I like the way he attacks the basket, he’s good in the pick-androll. He’s got a good pull-up jump shot, and he’s just making the right play.
“There are some things he still needs to work on and get better at, but I am very, very pleased with the way Collin’s been playing.”
A source said the Cavs were offered on draft night the chance to trade up to No. 3 with the Hawks in a deal that would’ve sent Kent Bazemore to Cleveland. Instead, Atlanta swapped spots with No. 5 Dallas, and the Mavericks ended up with Luka Doncic while the Hawks landed Trae Young.
Cleveland wanted Sexton and held firm at No. 8. Again, it’s very, very, very early, but the Cavs have every reason to be pleased with their pick. No one drafted ahead of Sexton is averaging more points per game in Vegas than him.
“His competitive nature is infectious,” Cavs general manager Koby Altman said. “I think everyone has enjoyed having him around.”
Cavs second-year player Cedi Osman, who was held out Wednesday, believes he’s developing a rapport with Sexton. “He is a great guy. I really like how he plays because he always likes to play fast,” Osman said.
In every interview he’s given after each game, Sexton’s used the word “learn” (or some variation) to describe what he’s trying to do this summer.
“I’m really just trying to go out there and get my rhythm back and just learn while I’m on the fly,” Sexton said Monday, after scoring 21 points with four assists in a win over Indiana. “Because the first three games are really the games you’ve just got to correct and learn from. That’s really the biggest thing.”
And then he went out and played his best game of the summer in Game No. 4.
Okaro White, who missed most of last season with a broken foot but was on the Cavs’ playoff roster, scored 13 points with seven rebounds in his best game of the summer.