Report: Early Returns of Darius Garland and Collin Sexton Backcourt Are ‘Encouraging’

When the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Vanderbilt University guard Darius Garland in the 2019 NBA Draft, speculation emerged that he would be teamed with second-year man Collin Sexton to form the team’s starting backcourt.

A new report from Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com indicates that an early pairing of the two players appeared to show some promise.

“Kevin Love hosted a players-only minicamp a few weeks ago,” Fedor wrote. “All the players were there except Matthew Dellavedova and Cedi Osman, both playing in the World Games. Sexton and Garland often were paired in the same backcourt. Very early returns are encouraging.”

In the weeks after the concept of a backcourt led by Sexton and Garland was offered, some doubt concerning the viability of the plan emerged. A good portion of the potential problem regarding the pairing focused on the likely effect it would have on the team’s defense.

If the Cavaliers do go forward with the plan, the establishing of chemistry between the 19-year-old Garland and 20-year-old Sexton is essential. That isn’t likely to occur immediately, which means that there will inevitably be growing pains along the way during the first few months of the season.

In addition, the fact that the reported success took place during an unstructured minicamp for the rebuilding team doesn’t guarantee that the plan would translate into success once the regular season begins.

However, the fact is that the Cavs have two strong building blocks in a vital area who can eventually become the cornerstones of the team. Right now, having patience in this department is the best plan of attack.