Cleveland Cavaliers fans are probably expecting an undersized backcourt for the Wine and Gold in the 2019-20 season.
Collin Sexton and Darius Garland are both 6-foot-2 and they will have enormous challenges ahead when matched up against the best guard tandems in the league. That’s why Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer believes that Sexton and Garland may not necessarily be the backcourt of the future for the Cavs.
“The endgame for Cleveland may not be a Sexton and Garland backcourt,” wrote Tjarks. “It’s possible that drafting Garland a year after Sexton was similar to what the Mavericks did when they took Luka Doncic a year after taking Dennis Smith Jr.: They selected the best available player without worrying about fit because they had already fallen out of love with their other young building block. The bigger concern for the Cavs is that they made the same mistake with Garland that they did with Sexton. A 6-foot-2 guard can take you only so far if he’s not a good passer.”
The biggest issue facing the Cavs’ talented twosome is on the defensive end where they will be tested on a nightly basis. Offense is their strongest suit, but that won’t be enough to keep them on the floor if they can’t contain their opponents from scoring against them.
Playmaking will be another obstacle that they both have to hurdle since passing the rock isn’t something that they are known for.
However, Sexton has shown that he is willing to learn. After struggling through a forgettable start to his rookie year, he showed more maturity as the 2018-19 season was coming to a close.
This summer, he participated in the 2019 D. Wade Invitational to improve his game.
Garland appears to be the better overall player of the two, and if the Cavs indeed chose the best player available in last June’s draft regardless of their team’s needs, then Sexton will have to show that he is capable of being a better ball distributor and defensive player.
