Cleveland Cavaliers rookie point guard Collin Sexton is not exactly playing at a high level. While it is unfair to throw him away and declare him a bust (some have), evaluating his performance thus far is a more than fair process.

In 11 games Collin Sexton is shooting 42 percent from the field. This includes a relatively unimpressive 33.3 percent from deep. While he only attempts just over one there-pointer per game it would be good to see his success rate increase in the future. On the other hand Sexton is attempting eight two-point shots per game. On shots of this variety Sexton is converting 43.2 percent of the time.

The main issue with Sexton on offense is that most of his shot attempts are from mid-range. A whopping 37 percent of Sexton’s shots come from two-point shots that are 16 feet or more from the basket. Sexton is making only 35.1 percent of these attempts, this only adds to the problem. Shots from this part of the court are widely considered poor. This is due to the relative low success rate and the fact that a step or two further back provides three points instead of just two.

Defensive issues

Coming out of college Collin Sexton had issue defending the pick and roll. Those issues are still prominent now that he is in a Cavaliers uniform. This is not the only issue Sexton has had this season on defense.

Sexton’s overall plus/minus is quite poor, currently at -78. This is the third-worst plus/minus for the Cavaliers this season. The only players with a worse number are Cedi Osman and Jordan Clarkson.

Sexton’s defensive liability also shows up in his defensive rating per 100 possessions. With Sexton on the court Cleveland gives up 120 points per 100 possessions, this is the worst number on the Cavaliers among players who see regular playing time. The only player with a worse defensive rating is John Holland who only played one minute in one game. The issue with a defensive rating this poor is that the team is only scoring 98 points per 100 possessions. The team is being outscored by 22 points per 100 possessions with Sexton on the court. This is a huge problem.

Can Collin Sexton improve?

Well of course Collin Sexton can improve. Sexton is only 20 years old and 11 games into his rookie season. The fact the Cavaliers are a bad team is certainly not helping his overall performance. With George Hill out for a few games, Sexton has the chance to improve his performance with an uptick in playing time. With how bad the Cavaliers have been this season they might as well start Sexton the remainder of the season. Give Sexton the chance to improve through more time on the court, evaluate which players to build around and who can be traded away. The Cavaliers need to improve somehow and giving Sexton more time on the court will only benefit all parties involved.