Collin Sexton is a quality player and you cannot deny that at this point. He has undoubtedly taken a leap as a player and has become a more refined and team centric guard. Today I will give an explanation about what he has improved.
Decision Making
The problem that a lot of people have had with Collin in the past is that he was a SG in a PG body, limiting the versatility and defensive upside of his lineups. He has improved considerably in this area. Becoming a better playmaker makes him a more traditional player. His fit in the lineup is more solidified.
His assist numbers do not show this heavy improvement but it is quite obvious when watching him. He is more likely to make a pass and cut or receive a screen in the flow of the offense than force a tough shot.
His tendency to go full speed all the time and throw the ball of the glass or dribble into a turnover are for the most part, long gone. He is much better at changing speeds to gain advantages than he was in the past. This same one speed problem is what has plagued players like Russell Westbrook.
Three Level Scoring
So far this season, he has become the true definition of a three level scorer. His ability to put the ball in the basket from every spot of the court is matched by few in the league.
He has been a monster around the basket to start the year. That previously mentioned multiple speed ability has made him as close to unstoppable in the paint as possible for a 6’1 guard.
His mid range shot creating has been elite to say the least. It seems like whenever he shoots a pull up from the free throw line it is going in. This can be shown by his 81.1% shooting from 2.
Finally we have his 3 point shooting. As of 7 games into the season he is shooting a ridiculous 54.2% from 3 on 3.4 per game. While yes this percentage will inevitably go down throughout the year, he has been at least a 38% 3 point shooter since entering the league so at worst he will end up a good shooter from beyond the arc.
Defense
To this point in the season, the Cavaliers defense has been a great unit, top 3-5 in most team defensive metrics. This is in no small part to the contributions of Collin Sexton. He has been playing with a much better attention to detail and intensity.
His Young Bull nickname is finally applicable to his NBA game. The clips of him forcing an 8 second violation in the clutch and getting steals in close game are not an accident. He is much better at staying in front of his man than last year and he does not get lost off the ball which is important in our high zone usage defense.
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