The Orlando Magic have a need at point guard. But fans are afraid of a repeat of a non-shooting guard. Collin Sexton asks those and many other questions.
One story dominated the Thanksgiving weekend set of games. It was a historic performance. The kind that tends to stick in your mind and you keep coming back to. Something you hope says something bigger about a player.
Six minutes into the second half, a brawl broke out ejecting five players. The Alabama Crimson Tide only had four players left. An injury knocked out another a few minutes later. The Tide were down to three on five.
Collin Sexton did not care. Alabama was down 57-50 at the time. Sexton scored 21 points as the Alabama Crimson Tide played the Minnesota Golden Gophers even. It was an impressive performance. Sexton finished with 40 points overall.
And it was that game that put Sexton firmly among the top-10 prospects early on in the year. This was Sexton at his most competitive and his best. He was not going to go down swinging.
That is quite an impression. A game and a performance that will go down as one of the greatest individual performances in NCAA history. Even in defeat.
The game seemed emblematic of the will and the desire to win within Sexton. That is stuff no one can teach. The question is whether his play can match that.
The buzz around Sexton died down in the middle of the season as he struggled to get himself going with the same eye-popping numbers. Only for him to pick it up in the NCAA Tournament and SEC Tournament. He seemed to rise to the occasion of the big stage.
Sexton’s scoring numbers are gaudy. He has great end-to-end speed and attacks the basket with strength and finesse. When he gets going, few teams are going to be able to stop him.
A point guard more in the vein of John Wall than a pure passer. Sexton does not have a lot of frills to his game. It is just an onslaught on the rim.
That can work. Plenty of players have been able to make a living off of sheer will and determination to the get to the basket. — John Wall and Russell Westbrook to name a few. Sexton may not quite be those players. He still has a lot of growing to do offensively.
Still, that memory lingers. What he did on the court at Barclays Center back in November leaves a lasting impression. It is something NBA teams will not ignore. When it comes to making a draft pick Sexton has a lot to like and plenty of signs of improvement.
The Good
The worst thing for any defense is to see Collin Sexton coming at them at full speed.
Sexton does not feature otherworldly speed. But with a basketball in his hand, an open lane in front of him and a determination to get to the basket, he can strike fear into opponents. It is in this scenario that Sexton uses his length best. He can slither around the basket and finish in traffic.
Like any solid point guard entering the league, he is adept in the pick and roll too. He can start and stop well to get the defense off balance or with his defender on his hip. That creates the space for him to accelerate to the rim.
Sexton is always searching and probing and looking for that hole to squeeze through. Right now, that is his best bet to score.
And he did it plenty effectively at Alabama. He had that game scoring 40 points against Minnesota. He scored 30 twice — including a 31-point effort against the Auburn Tigers in the SEC Tournament. Sexton scored 20 or more in 16 of the Tide’s 33 games. That is a rare feat for the NCAA.
Even more impressive is how Sexton always seemed to step up in big moments. He relished playing under pressure and delivered.
In the SEC and NCAA Tournaments, Sexton averaged 24.2 points per game and 3.6 assists per game, shooting 47.8 percent from beyond the arc and a 60.1 percent effective field goal percentage. He had games of 27, 31 and 25 points in that five-game run.
The two wins Alabama picked up in the SEC Tournament likely got them in the NCAA Tournament. Sexton simply took over in those games. He had that ability in college to will his team.
Sexton adds all the measurables to be a solid defender too. He has good lateral quickness and determination to be good on that end.
His nickname is appropriately “Young Bull.” It seems like when he gets an idea of doing something he is going to charge in there and get it done. More often than not at Alabama, he was able to do that.
The Bad
Orlando Magic fans feel a bit jilted at point guard right now. There is undoubtedly a need there and there was scarring from the guy that was there before. Magic fans do not want to see another Elfrid Payton — a guy with the defensive build and speed, but no shooting and other liabilities.
That is more than fair. Payton failed to live up to expectations in Orlando. In any way. And his poor 3-point shot ultimately proved to be too much of a liability.
Sexton is a better shooter than Payton. There is no getting around that. He is not the same player that Payton is. Teams have to respect his 3-point shot and not merely ignore him. And Sexton’s 77.8 percent free throw percentage suggests he could improve as a 3-point shooter (Payton was a much worse free throw shooter coming out of college).
But Sexton is not an effective 3-point shooter. At least he was not last year, finishing shooting 33.6 percent. Maybe he did not get a lot of spot-up opportunities and was shooting off the dribble, but shooting is not his forte.
He can get hot and make shots in bunches. And he can set himself up for shots. But his form is a bit inconsistent. Sexton can hit a rhythm but he can also go a long time without making any shots.
Sexton has great end-to-end speed. He can hit the turbos and get to the basket. But in the half court and playing from more of a standstill, he can struggle. Sexton is not going to break down too many players off the dribble without a pick. Nor can you rely on him to set up his own shot that way either.
As impressive as Sexton could be, there is a reason he dropped among draft boards. After his hot start to the season, he kind of evened out through conference play.
In SEC play, Sexton averaged 16.8 points per game, but he shot just 39.9 percent from the floor. He hit on less than 30 percent of his 3-pointers too.
Through all of this, Sexton does not put up overly impressive assist numbers. He is a scorer first, it appears. But not much of a passer. He averaged just 3.6 assists per game for the entire year.
So if his shot is not going down and his scoring is neutralized, what else will he provide?
The engine is there. Sexton can inevitably get better. But there are certainly flaws that are hard to overlook. Especially in a modern NBA that increasingly values other skills. Skills that Sexton has had a hard time nailing down consistently.
Draft Sites Say
Alex Scarborough, ESPN
"“Sexton is the closest thing college basketball has to Russell Westbrook. Their size is the same, as is their game: scoring point guards with 3-point range and the ability to get to the rim at will. But it’s their approach that is eerily similar: an unmistakable, white-hot intensity that is borderline maniacal.”"
The Ringer
"“He’s here to kick ass and chew bubblegum—and that attitude is contagious. He’s a potential lockdown defender against guards due to his lateral quickness, length, and effort. Stays engaged off-ball fighting through screens; he’s always a threat to intercept passes. . . . Forces low-quality shots against rim protection and hoists jumpers early in the clock, rather than making plays for teammates. Lacks pure passing skills; he forces high-risk passes or low-quality shots at a frustrating rate. He can hone his passing ability by improving his accuracy and the velocity he puts on passes.”"
J.Z. Mazlish, The Stepien
"A very exciting point guard prospect due to his athleticism, intensity, and budding skill-level. If he shows well as a playmaker and shooter at Alabama he could find himself in the top-5 pick conversation. Fun to watch due to his unique temperament."
William P. Desautelle III, NBADraft.net
"Sexton is one of the most dynamic guards in the country and has the tools to become a versatile weapon at the NBA level … Although he is slightly undersized in height at 6-2, he plays with great physicality, athleticism, and aggression, and has a 6’6.5 wingspan and a 8’0 standing reach … He’s a player that loves the spotlight and seems to be energized by the bright lights and stiff competition. . . . Sexton still has some room for improvement as a slasher despite his explosiveness … He has the ability to finish with his left hand at the rim but is obviously much more comfortable going right at this stage … He needs to add a bit more finesse to this department in his game, as he will not be able to rely on sheer athleticism once he reaches the NBA."
Final Word
Orlando Magic fans who fear Collin Sexton is the next Elfrid Payton should not really worry about that. Unlike Payton, Sexton is a much more skilled offensive player and shooter than Payton already. He has something that really sets him apart at the NBA level.
But the hesitance to draft another point guard with noted shooting struggles — with some mechanical problems at that — is well noted and warranted. Shooting has become so important and having a threat to score at point guard is even more important. It is going to be hard to win with a guard who is not a threat at all. Someone defenses can sag off.
Sexton will not be that. He can shoot the 3-pointer well enough and find his rhythm enough times to burn teams that stray from him too much. And without as much of a playmaking burden, maybe he can get some spot-up opportunities to increase his percentage.
But that shooting hang up will be the big question for him. Especially as he operates in the half court more.
Sexton is a gifted athlete. He can ramp up to 60, so to speak, as quickly as anyone. And he has a nose for getting to the basket and finishing at the rim. He is a scorer first.
That is both his strength and his weakness, though. He can relentlessly attack the rim. But can have tunnel vision and miss teammates or freeze some out. Whether Sexton can develop this playmaking instinct or ability will go a long way to determining his NBA future.
Still, there is something special about this kid. He has a determination and a spirit about him. A willingness to fight and push his team to victory.
That kind of intangible stands out to scouts and front offices too. They like to see players who are going to get after wins and hate to lose. That appears to be who Sexton is. He always brought out his best when the team needed it.
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That will be hard to ignore too.