It’s been a long road for Collin Sexton. The five-year veteran has been through his ups and downs due to injuries and swirling around trade rumors. With a fresh start in Utah, the return of Sexton is upon us. His goal is to remind the world why he is known as the Young Bull.
Sometimes opportunities don’t go the way that many players anticipate them to. During the first few years of his career, Sexton was projected to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to different heights. While LeBron James made his decision to join the Los Angeles Lakers after leading the Cavs to four straight NBA Finals, a lot was placed on Sexton’s shoulders to lead the franchise back to winning. It’s safe to say that the Cavs never gave Sexton a chance to show his worth to the franchise. While he did display some great numbers, it was only a matter of time before the team wanted to go in a different direction.
The Beginning: Sexton's Emergence
I date back to the 2019-20 season, where Sexton was showing his emergence as an All-Star caliber player. He averaged 20.8 points on 47 percent shooting. While the numbers may have not been impressive to many, it was slow progress in the right direction. The following season, Sexton would elevate his scoring to 24.3 points. Things were going in the right direction for the Young Bull. However, Sexton tore his left meniscus at the beginning of the 2021-22 season, missing out on an impressive Cleveland Cavaliers season.
The criticism behind Collin Sexton’s game is that he’s not a playmaking point guard. He isn’t the player who can run the floor on offense and find guys in their open spots. The Cavs understood what Sexton brought to the table when drafting him in 2018. Also, once the team drafted Darius Garland the year after, the team’s formula was to allow the two guards to develop a great backcourt.
However, things changed once Sexton went down with his injury in late 2021. The Cavs started to find success with Garland emerging as their number-one option. Also, the play of Ricky Rubio at the beginning of the season allowed the Cavs’ front office to be more optimistic about their new future.
Unfortunately, Sexton would not be a part of the Cavs' future. Once they got on the phone with the Utah Jazz front office, it was with no hesitation to trade Sexton and others for All-Star Donovan Mitchell.
Sexton in Utah Will Be A Big Year
Heading to Utah is the start of a new beginning for Sexton. While the team is in full rebuild mode, he has a chance to become a pivotal piece for their future. Reminder: Sexton is still 23 years old. Still, with a lot of room to grow, he can help elevate the franchise in many ways.
While Sexton lacks the ability of an elite playmaker, there are several ways how he has shown to be a leader on the floor. One area is his offense. No, Sexton is not the elite shooter of Stephen Curry, Trae Young, or even his former teammate, Darius Garland. However, he figures out a way to make his presence known by putting the ball in the basket.
Sexton has learned to thrive around the mid-range while also not being afraid to drive into the teeth of the defense. Standing at 6’1, Sexton has the power and strength to drive past defenders and create easy opportunities. Sexton will likely be one of the team’s leading scorers next to Jordan Clarkson. It’s important that he establishes himself on that end of the floor and provides the same energy as he did in Cleveland.
Another way Sexton sets the tone is his defensive presence. Everyone has seen the infamous video of him bending his knees and tightening his fists while defending Josh Hart in the NBA Summer League. Sexton takes pride on the defensive end. He has the quickness and strength to stay in front of his defender while forcing turnovers. More times than not, Sexton forcing a turnover leads to a scoring opportunity on the other end. It may not show in the numbers but Sexton has succeeded many times on the defensive end as it sets the tone for the rest of the team.
Be Ready For The Young Bull
Collin Sexton should be a player that the Utah Jazz look to keep for the future. Despite his up-and-down journey, the 23-year-old star still has All-Star written on him. Sexton’s previous two seasons before his injury should indicate that he is capable of being a leader for the team who can set the tone in multiple ways. The Jazz are projected to miss the playoffs this season. However, it doesn’t take away from the individual season that Sexton is prepared to have.
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