CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The scouting report on rookie Collin Sexton is clear: Go under screens and force him to make jumpers.

It's been that way since he was at Alabama. It's what the experts felt was his most glaring weakness heading into the NBA Draft.

The switch-everything Houston Rockets, getting their first look at Cleveland's rapidly-improving rookie, implemented that go-under strategy on Saturday night.

When there wasn't a screen, opposing players just sagged off to try to take away driving lanes. Bigs, guards, forwards, it didn't matter. Everyone took a crack at Sexton and approached it the same way, repeatedly daring him to knock down outside shots.

He did. He hit nine of them, including an impressive 8-of-10 on mid-range jumpers.

Sexton jumper 2 from Chris Fedor on Vimeo.

"I think for any young player that comes into the league, and whatever the scouting report may be against that guy, they're going to play you and force you to prove them wrong," head coach Larry Drew said. "And I think certainly Colin is starting to open eyes as far as his ability to make shots on the perimeter. I think the scouting report on him was to go underneath him on the screen and roll.

"He's proven everybody wrong."

That's Sexton. He relishes the challenge and plays with an enormous chip on his shoulder.

Sexton went from little-known college recruit to one of the top prep players in America. He took a football school, Alabama, to the NCAA Tournament. He almost led the Tide to a win against Minnesota as a freshman despite being forced to play 3-on-5. Proving people wrong is nothing new to him.

He won't admit it publicly, of course, but the way the youngster is wired he's out to silence the doubters who once questioned his draft position and were ready to make declarative statements about his career in the first month. More appropriately, he's out to prove the Cavaliers right for believing in him, wanting to make him the centerpiece of this rebuild.

Sexton's already made his teammates, the ones who felt he didn't know how to play a few weeks back, change their tune.

If he keeps up this level of shooting, Sexton will start to change the scouting report too.

"If you try to take away what you perceive to be a weakness of his, he's going to try to prove you wrong," Drew said. "Thus far he has certainly proven people wrong about their ability to defend him in the pick and roll. If they continue to go underneath him, I'm going to encourage him to take that shot."

During Saturday's 117-108 win, Sexton tallied a career-best 29 points on 14-of-21 from the field and 1-of-3 from 3-point range.

With 4:18 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Rockets had cut the lead to six points. Sexton was working one-on-one against Eric Gordon on the right side.

Between the legs, behind the back, in and out with the left hand. Pull-up jumper. Splash.

Sexton jumper from Chris Fedor on Vimeo.

It's a combination he works on tirelessly with player development coach Mike Gerrity. There it was giving the Cavs an eight-point lead again and helping hold off a potential late surge by Houston.

"That's my shot, so if they give it to me, I'm going to take it," Sexton said. "My teammates have confidence in me in taking the shot and making it, so I feel like if they're sagging off, I have to be able to knock it down so my teammates can get open shots."

Less than three weeks ago Sexton was in the crosshairs. Teammates were doubting him. He looked overwhelmed. Drew felt the need to speak to his group about being patient with Sexton. He felt the criticism was over the top and unfair.

That moment in Orlando has changed everything. In a strange way, George Hill's shoulder injury came at the perfect time.

It's allowed Sexton to move into the starting lineup where he has blossomed into an early Rookie of the Year candidate. It's allowed him to build trust, no longer being looked at as a frustrating symbol of the team's rebuild or the favored rookie getting significant playing time because of a decree from above.

At a time when doubts were rising, Sexton needed a chance to restore confidence.

"He's finding a really good rhythm," Tristan Thompson said. "I think myself and the other veterans are finding ways to make it easier for him. In terms of sets we want to run, find a package of offensive sets that he likes, that he's comfortable with and he can read and make plays off.

"Me and him in the pick-and-roll is going to be good because I'm going to set the screen and it's going to give him an easy look to see where the big is playing. Just trying to find what he's comfortable with and throw that out there. As time goes on, we will add some different offensive schemes he can get comfortable with and go from there."

Since taking over for Hill in the starting lineup -- a role Sexton is likely to hold onto when Hill returns from a shoulder injury any day now -- Sexton is averaging 19.6 points on 50.8 percent from the field and 55.6 percent from 3-point range to go with 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists.

In the 10 games before that, Sexton was averaging 10.5 points on 40.7 percent from the field and 30 percent from beyond the arc.

Sexton's father has been working with him since he was young. When something's off with his form, Sexton's dad is the one to help correct it. About one week ago, Sexton's dad noticed a flaw in the mechanics. The two went to the gym and worked through it.

The results are indisputable. Just ask the Rockets. They entered Saturday night with a specific defensive plan. Sexton ruined it.