CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Collin Sexton recognized his mistake immediately.

Leading a 2-on-1 break, with Cedi Osman on the wing, Sexton ignored a chance to feed his teammate and attempted a contested layup instead. While the play eventually ended in a made basket during the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 100-98 win against the Charlotte Hornets Wednesday night, Sexton clenched his fist and slammed it against his leg before a brief chat with Osman and another with head coach John Beilein.

Too late. By that time, fans were already miffed, drafting their impassioned tweets about Sexton’s lack of court vision, awareness and passing ability. That play becoming the latest piece of evidence that the 20-year-old, in just his second NBA season, will never truly get it.

He’s heard those same criticisms for years. He knows he’s a polarizing player. He takes it in stride, bottling up that negativity and using it as fuel.

“Other people may shy away from it, but I use it,” Sexton told cleveland.com in a recent sit-down at Cleveland Clinic Courts. “I love adding fuel to my fire and trying to prove I can play. People say I really can’t play and this and that. A lot of people hate. If you look at the best players in the league, a lot of people don’t like what they do. You feel me? James Harden for instance -- he’s an amazing player and some people love him and some hate him.

“I love the criticism because if there was no criticism then what can you work on and what can you get better at? That’s just like any job. People may say you can’t write a good story, you’re going to try to prove them wrong. So, whatever they say I can’t do I’m going to do it.”

Thus far, he’s backed that up.

Some questioned whether Sexton was deserving of a top 10 pick in the star-studded and top-heavy 2018 NBA Draft. He went eighth.

They said he couldn’t shoot coming into the NBA, crowing that it would be his downfall. Those same worries popped up early in his NBA career as Sexton got off to a poor start. Then he set a rookie franchise record for 3-pointers and hit 40.2 percent from deep, the second-best mark among first-year players who attempted enough to qualify.

His teammates verbally assaulted him about a month into his rookie season, saying he didn’t know how to play, wondering aloud if his minutes were more about politics than talent or readiness, and panning his questionable shot selection. Some even mentioned me-first tendencies. Like everything else, Sexton used that to his advantage, proved them wrong and finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting while being named second team All-Rookie.

“It’s so easy for people to say that stuff about him because we had so much turnover last year,” Kevin Love told cleveland.com. “I think people were overreacting saying that because … listen, were there times he was selfish in being a rookie? Sure. I was selfish in being a rookie. I was like, ‘I haven’t shot it in a long time, so f--- it, I’m going to shoot it.’ I still do that!

“It’s tough when you are on a team that is at the very bottom to really try to work on your game. I think people were telling him, ‘Go out there, make mistakes, try to get other guys involved and look for different things.’ But his whole entire life he’s been that guy. So he comes in at 19 years old and people freak out. Then in the second half of the season he was great. I thought he was awesome. He finally settled down, blocked out all that other stuff and was able to have a lot of success.”

And yet, even after the way he finished, Sexton is back in that familiar place, still having to silence the doubters.

“People criticize me a lot. I get it from everyone,” Sexton said. “They say I wasn’t a good defensive player and I’ve turned it around. You see I’ve been locking up, guarding some of the best players, no matter the size or position. At the end of the day I’m going to be me. I know what helps me when I’m on the floor and what helps my team.”

Despite changing positions and adapting to a third different head coach in two years, many of Sexton’s numbers are up.

He’s scoring 104 points per 100 possessions compared to 101 points per 100 possessions as a rookie. He’s enjoyed a slight bump in overall shooting, up from 43% to 45.4. He recently started his 100th game before the age of 21, joining Kyrie Irving and LeBron James as the only three players to accomplish that in franchise history.

Sexton’s made strides as a finisher, using his speed, athleticism and added muscle to overcome other size limitations. Last year, 26.6% of Sexton’s shots came within three feet, and he connected on 57.0%. This year, with Beilein urging him to attack, 33.0% of his shots have come from that three-foot range, and Sexton is shooting 62.4% on those attempts. His field goal percentage from 3-10 feet has gone up, from 31.1% to 37.6%. He’s had a similar rise when it comes to shooting from 10-16 feet, up to 45.9% this season compared to 40.5% last. On two-pointers, he’s hitting 49.9% after 44.0% as a rookie.

In all, Sexton has improved in these areas: field goal percentage, two-point percentage, free throw attempts, offensive rebounds, total rebounds, steals, turnovers, and points.

He’s been Cleveland’s most consistent scorer, averaging a team-best 17.9 points and only failing to crack the double-digit mark twice in 28 games this season. But no matter what he does or how well he plays, the pessimistic reviews don’t seem to relent. Veterans even scream at him.

“That’s basketball,” Sexton said. “Whatever we see out there we come together and talk about it. We all yell at each other at times. Whatever happens in that four or five seconds happens and then it’s over with. Then it’s, ‘Let’s go. Let’s get it going next play.’"

Sexton doesn’t take offense. He says he accepts it because it comes from a good place and everyone has the same intentions.

(Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com) cleveland.com

It also helps that Love and Sexton have built a bond. Love, who wasn’t around the team for months last season because of surgery on his toe, reached out to Sexton via text numerous times over the summer. It was Love’s way of trying to get to know the sometimes-reserved youngster. They talk about football. They crack jokes and laugh together. They often sit near each other on the team bus.

During in-game stoppages, Love will pull Sexton aside and offer constructive criticism, which sometimes turns into yelling. Love has admittedly let the moment get the best of him. But he’s been trying to deliver a specific message that will resonate. He wants Sexton to become a better player. He believes there’s more untapped potential.

“It’s like, ‘You see so much attention because you are such a natural scorer and so gifted and those passes are there for you,’” Love said. “He’s becoming a more willing passer and he’s trying to ask the right questions and I think that’s going to foster a lot of growth in him. It’s not for a lack of caring because he loves the game. The guy works his ass off. If you see us talking throughout the game I will ask him, ‘What did you see there? What were the reads? What do you want me to look for?' It’s good to keep talking the game with him because communication like that is good for us. I think he’s been working on it a lot and I think that will be the next evolution.”

Sexton chuckled when asked if Beilein is hard on him as well.

“He screams at me a lot, but I try to take the right thing away from it,” Sexton said. “You have to make sure you stay poised and pull the good things out of that message. Not every message is a bad message.”

Beilein has raved about Sexton’s talent, but always stops short of calling him a true point guard. He wants Sexton to keep using his blazing speed, especially in the open floor while also looking for driving lanes in half court sets.

The Cavs didn’t draft Sexton to be Steve Nash. They know Sexton’s assist numbers won’t be sky high. They liked, among other things, his scoring potential, attitude, tenacity and work ethic. He now has 99 double-digit career scoring games. That’s the most of anyone from the 2018 class. Yes, even more than Atlanta’s Trae Young or Dallas star Luka Doncic. Not bad for a player whose game is frequently picked apart.

Even though Sexton’s not being used as a full-time point guard this season, willingly moving over one spot to accommodate rookie Darius Garland, Beilein has given Sexton some more playmaking responsibilities lately. He’s noticed positive signs.

“I think he’s seeing the floor much, much better,” Beilein said. “He’s more of a scorer who can pass, than a passer who can score. But there are going to be times where he’s got to see the open man better, and he knows it. Just watch him. Sometimes, when he has an assist, I think he celebrates as much as he does as when he scores.”

Coach Beilein on Young Bull's strengths, and where he can find growth opportunity.



MORE: https://t.co/oPRaH03bAl pic.twitter.com/BbU7jysyua — Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 19, 2019

Coaches continue to break down film so Sexton can see through the game. Staff members believe he’s looking more inward while driving and believe he would benefit from expanding that vision outward, searching for kick-out 3s in a crowd. Beilein saw signs of that Wednesday night, pointing to Sexton’s pair of secondary assists. Sexton didn’t actually get credit for either one. But they led to six points.

“He’s very proud of his progress," Beilein said. "You might not see it in numbers, his number of assists will be comparable to this time at the one-third mark, but the assists aren’t always indicative of the decisions.”

According to the Cavs’ tracking numbers, Sexton is averaging 4.6 potential assists per game. He ranks second on the team in passes and hockey assists. Last season, the Cavs had an effective field goal percentage of 48.8% off Sexton’s passes. This season, they have an effective field goal percentage of 56.3%.

“I feel like I’m moving in the right direction, getting better,” Sexton said. “Started off having a really good year and I’m just continuing to work each and every day and get better. Just continue to be a playmaker and score the ball whenever my team needs me to. Then passing and making sure I make the right decisions.

“I know what I can do and I know I can pass the ball. I know I can be a true point guard and I know I can score also. I’m just a player. When you think the game that’s when you miss the shot or miss the pass. Just go out there and play. Basketball is about reading and reacting.”

Sexton wouldn’t say specifically what his next step is. He’s not honing one particular area. He never does. As he says, there are many different ways to make an impact. On Thursday, he worked on catch-and-shoot 3s, off-balance floaters, pick-and-roll attacks and around-the-rim finishes.

One thing is for certain: He will attack his own flaws with the same dogged determination that not only led to his second-half rise but often sent him to the facility for late-night shooting sessions after losses.

“I mean, he’s far from a finished product,” Love said of Sexton. “In talking to him, he really, really wants to get better and take that next step. He cares so much that I think he will be able to get there. They call him Young Bull for a reason. He’s an absolute worker. Is there some shot selection that is bad? Sure. But I think he’s going to continue to get better. He’s only, what, 20 years old? That’s crazy.”

Last season, Sexton wanted to make the Rising Stars Challenge and felt snubbed. He was hoping to make first team All-Rookie and barely got nudged out. He has individual goals again for 2019-20. But he isn’t planning to reveal them. Maybe after the season. As for the team, Sexton has one in particular: Win more than 19 games.

“This isn’t tennis or track. This is basketball," Sexton said. "It’s more about the team than self. There are four other guys on the court with you. I just want to win. People say rebuild all the time, but we want to win, and I would say it’s a transitional period and we’re trying to get better.”

That includes Sexton. He can mix brilliance with baffling. He doesn’t always make the right play -- and he knows that. Sometimes he won’t see an open teammate waving at him -- and the disappointment in himself shows. He has a tendency to take one too many dribbles and get into trouble. He might even hoist a controversial shot from time to time -- and then signal to his guys that he was in the wrong. He has flaws that get exposed.

Still, everything points to improvement. And with that comes the respect of his teammates.

“Right now we have him at the 2-guard position, which is probably easier for him,” Tristan Thompson said. Takes a lot of pressure off him and has helped his game grow a lot. He’s getting better every year and we like when he’s aggressive.”

“I will go to war with him any day,” Larry Nance Jr. told cleveland.com recently.

Maybe Sexton is a future sixth man as opposed to full-time starter. That’s been discussed plenty. Perhaps the Sexton-Garland pairing won’t work and the Cavs ultimately go a different direction.

Just don’t relay those doubts to Sexton. Or do. After all, that’s just the way he likes it.

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