Cleveland Cavaliers make a smart pick with Collin Sexton -- Terry Pluto
https://www.cleveland.com/pluto/index.ssf/2018/06/cleveland_cavaliers_make_a_sma_1.htmlBy Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer terrypluto2003@yahoo.com
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Collin Sexton to the Cleveland Cavaliers?
I'm OK with it.
The Alabama point guard is a relentless defender, extremely quick and a blur when driving to the rim.
The Cavs need a point guard with energy, and the 6-foot-3, 190-pounder will deliver just that.
Sexton is only 19 and his one weakness is outside shooting -- .336 from 3-point range.
The good news is Sexton is a 78 percent shooter from the foul line, meaning he has decent form and release on his shot.
In a sense, I'm relieved.
I was fearful the Cavs would take Michael Porter Jr.
When a 19-year-old has serious back surgery, it's hard to assume he'll stay healthy in the long, demanding NBA season.
Porter was the top high school player in 2017. But he hurt his back two minutes into his first game with Missouri. He had surgery, then didn't play until his final two games of the season.
Porter did cancel at least one of his pro workouts because of some physical concerns.
He is just too risky for me. He went No. 14 to Denver.
I preferred Trae Young to Sexton. Young is a superior outside shooter and passer to Sexton.
But Young was long gone (to Atlanta) before the Cavs picked at No. 8.
It's hard to know what impact -- if any -- the drafting of Sexton will have on LeBron James as the Cavs star decides where he'll play next season.
With or without James, the Cavs need a young, talented point guard.
Their only pure point guard on the roster is 32-year-old George Hill, so Sexton is a fit.
I probably would have taken Mikal Bridges over Sexton. I really like the Villanova star who is a determined defender and accurate 3-point shooter. He was selected No. 10 by Philadelphia.
But Sexton makes a lot of sense for the Cavs.
Head coach Tyronn Lue was a former NBA point guard. So was top assistant Larry Drew.
Both men can help mold Sexton into an NBA point guard.
At Alabama, he had to carry a lot of the scoring. He averaged 19.2 points, shooting .447 from the field. He averaged only 3.6 assists as he was not a pass-first point guard.
So the Cavs have their young point guard. He is the last piece of the Irving deal with Boston.
Cavs general manager Koby Altman continues to make the roster younger. In mid-season trades, he added Larry Nance Jr., Rodney Hood and Jordan Clarkson -- all in their middle 20s.
Now, they have a teen-aged point guard.
Was this a franchise-changing pick?
Probably not.
But it could be a very good one in the long run for the Cavs.