Cleveland Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton has displayed tremendous growth in his second year in the league.
As a matter of fact, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, one Cavs assistant coach compared Sexton to Houston Rockets superstar Russell Westbrook.
“At one point, a Cavaliers assistant used Russell Westbrook as Sexton’s comparison, pointing to his tenacity, speed, explosiveness, athleticism and competitiveness,” Fedor wrote.
Sexton, 21, definitely shares a ton of intangible qualities with Westbrook.
As the anonymous assistant coach described, both guards have a passionate will to work tirelessly, play hard and win basketball games.
While it appears early to use the 2017 MVP as a player comparison for Sexton, it must be noted that the youngster is on a similar track to Westbrook’s, if not better.
In his second year in the league, Westbrook averaged 16.1 points, 8.0 assists and 4.9 boards per game with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
As for Sexton, he is averaging 20.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game this season. The University of Alabama product was in the midst of a breakout stretch before the NBA paused.
In fact, he was playing some of the best basketball among the entire association following the All-Star break. The 6-foot-1 pro averaged 30.0 points, 4.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game in March.
While Sexton’s assist and rebound averages are below Westbrook’s, he clearly has the same ability to score the basketball.