New addition to help Cavs defensively

Cavs take one-and-done Alabama guard with No. 8 pick in the NBA draft

The Cavaliers used the eighth pick in the NBA draft June 21 to select Alabama point guard Collin Sexton — a player they expect to make them better defensively whether or not LeBron James sticks around.

Sexton, 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, averaged 19.2 points and 3.6 assists a game in his one-anddone college career.

“I’m glad the Cavs picked me at No. 8,” Sexton said when interviewed at the draft at the Barclays Center in New York City. “When I was working out for them, I felt like that was one of my better workouts — probably one of my best workouts actually. So I’m very excited to be a part of the organization.”

Sexton said the Cavaliers are getting a two-way player. That’s important because their defensive weaknesses were exposed while being swept by Golden State in the NBA Finals.

Sexton was a guest of the Cavaliers in Game 4 of the Finals and witnessed the Warriors schooling the Cavaliers, 108-85, to complete the sweep.

scouting report on Sexton:

“Knack for getting downhill, attacking the paint and finishing. Strong and unafraid of contact, drawing 7.6 fouls per40 minutes. Finished in the 87th percentile as a pick-and-roll scorer (0.57 points per possession). Was mostly efficient while shouldering a major offensive load, using 32.8 percent of his team’s possessions.

“Has the ability to

be a strong on-ball defender. Has quick feet and is tenacious when engaged.” Sexton is 19 years old. “Man, LeBron, let’s do it,” Sexton said while being interviewed on ESPN when asked to make his pitch to James to convince James to stay with the Cavaliers. “I see you needed a few pieces last season. Let’s go back to the Finals. Let’s do it.”

Under weaknesses, the Sports Illustrated

scouting report read: “Questionable playmaking instincts. Poor 1.28 assist-to-turnover ratio. Finished in just the 28th percentile of pick-and-roll passers (0.84 points per possession). Can make the correct read, but on whole didn’t make teammates better.”

Sexton was 44 of 131 (.336) on 3-point attempts in his only season of college basketball.

“Just being able to play both ends of the basketball court, being able to go out there and play defense and also being able to score the ball,” Sexton said. “But the most important side is the defensive side just because of all the players you have to go against night in, night out.”

Here is the Sports Illustrated

KEVIN HAGEN — ASSOCIATED PRESS Alabama’s Collin Sexton, right, poses with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after he was picked eighth overall by the Cavaliers during the first round of the NBA draft June 21 in New York.