SALT LAKE CITY -- During the first two games of summer league, Collin Sexton has been sitting on the bench cheering for his new teammates, right next to fifth-overall pick Darius Garland.

That’s the Cleveland Cavaliers’ future. Not so much the guys on the floor. But rather the duo watching closely in gray-colored polos and shorts.

Neither guy is playing here. Sexton, who arrived on June 1 for support and team-building, proved enough in the NBA as a rookie to not participate in this showcase that is mainly for a combination of rookies, second-year guys fighting to make it and others still chasing that elusive NBA dream. Garland has been held out the first two matchups and is unexpected to play at all, even when the Cavs head to Las Vegas for the big summer league tournament. The Cavs are being cautious with the youngster who had surgery to repair a torn meniscus after his fifth college game.

For now, there are only visions of what could be with this potentially-dynamic pairing that caught some around the NBA by surprise because of the “fit” question.

One year after snagging Sexton at No. 8, putting the offense in his hands and making him one of the prominent faces of this lengthy -- and likely painful -- rebuild, perhaps envisioning his as the next great Cleveland point guard, the Cavs selected a player who occupies the same position three picks higher.

Sexton’s response?

“I was very excited,” he told cleveland.com Tuesday night following the Cavaliers’ second consecutive summer league loss. “You watch the NBA now and it’s more like a two-guard offense and coach, all he’s ever run is two-guard offense.”

On draft night, without prompting, Sexton pointed to the Portland Trail Blazers while broadcasting with Yahoo Sports. That team has been used most as an example. When the conversation again turned to him and Garland on the floor together outside the Cavs’ summer league locker room, the Blazers came up again. So, too, did the Toronto Raptors, who used non-traditional backcourt mates Fred VanVleet and Kyle Lowry during their championship run. There are others too. But you get the idea.

Even head coach John Beilein offered up the possibility of Cleveland becoming Portland East. While it’s unfair to set such a high bar with these two Cleveland youngsters, both with plenty to prove, it makes sense given their skills. It’s also not a bad tandem to emulate.

Lillard wasn’t known as a distributor in college. He averaged 3.5 assists over four years at Weber State, never eclipsing more than four per game in a season. It was about his alluring range, mid-range shooting prowess and overall scoring package. That sure sounds like Garland, whose enchanting handle, smooth jumper and pick-and-roll mastery had him looking like college basketball’s top point guard until an injury ended his season. Ja Morant’s rapid rise changed the draft slotting for Garland, who many in the Cavaliers organization thought would be off the board when they slid to No. 5 on lottery night.

McCollum was a point guard at Lehigh. He’s carved out a role as a scoring two-guard in large part because of his backcourt partner. Score-first guard, eh? That’s the label many have attached to Sexton.

The Blazers have had plenty of success. They have identified ways to maximize each guy, allowing Lillard and McCollum to overcome some of the complications that arise from having two guys 6-foot-3 or under sharing the court for a bulk of the game. Can the Cavs do the same?

Before they went forward with their Garland plan, key members of the organization wanted to talk to Sexton. The 20-year-old building block was coming off an impressive rookie season, finishing fifth in Rookie of the Year voting and being named Second Team All-Rookie. General manager Koby Altman, head coach John Beilein and others bounced the idea of a two-PG system off him. They also discussed it with Garland, laying out the vision -- just in case Garland was the pick at No. 5.

“They really liked him. I knew that by talking to them,” Sexton said. “I knew they were for him. And I know he will be able to fit our system. I think it will be good."

There were no surprises on draft night. There haven’t been since. That open line of communication helped with any possible tension. Everyone who has been around Sexton and Garland will say the same thing: The two players genuinely like each other. And they are both excited about forming what they hope becomes one of the league’s most devastating backcourts.

“Taking pressure off one another,” Sexton said of how he will help Garland and vice versa. “Feeding off each other’s energy.”

Sexton said it doesn’t matter which guy gets to have the ball. The offense will flow well either way and both will have a chance to pick their spots.

Last season, following Brandon Knight’s arrival from Houston, the Cavs paired Sexton and Knight -- two score-first guards. That experience helped Sexton evolve. He was no longer responsible for all the playmaking responsibilities. It allowed him to get more comfortable playing off the ball. The Cavs feel Sexton showed enough versatility to handle either role. They believe Garland can do the same, flourishing at either guard spot.

“I’m really excited,” Garland said. “Collin, he’s really good. I think I can help him and I think we can both combine to do some crazy things in Cleveland.”

Unsurprisingly, Sexton has been relentlessly working this summer. Wherever he goes, he’s searching for a gym, putting in countless hours with his father, Darnell, who lit up when talking about Sexton and Garland together the other day. Sexton has focused on extending his shooting range and guarding in space. He’s worked on his off-the-dribble shooting game, trying to become more consistent in that area.

He even went back to film from last season, watching almost every game. The goal: Try to identify where he needed to improve most, figure out why he struggled the first few months when he received plenty of eye rolls and non-stop criticism from teammates.

“Doing that, I was able to see the progression I made and the things I did bad at the beginning, just tried to work to correct those,” he said. “I was rushing a lot early, not taking my time and not trusting my teammates enough.”

That last part will be vital, especially when it comes to Garland. Some of these backcourt pairings have the best intentions, but implode quickly. The Cavs know all about that with Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters. Judging by how Sexton and Garland reacted on draft night and by the way they both view this new partnership, it’s not an issue anyone expects. And when they finally share the court together rather than the last few seats on the bench watching and sharing observations, the both plan to show it.

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