Can Collin Sexton Be the Guy to “Run the Show?”

Collin Sexton has a chance to grab hold of a major role this fall with the Utah Jazz. (Leah Hogstein, The Salt Lake Tribune)

As 24-year-old point guard Collin Sexton heads toward his second season with the Utah Jazz, he recently told The Athletic’s Tony Jones, “I want to be able to try and take over the point guard role. I want to show (the Jazz) that I can run the show.”

With training camp approaching, Sexton will have the chance to do just that. As the countdown to the season tipoff continues, will Sexton be the guy who gets the starting point guard nod in game one for the up-and-coming Salt Lake City squad? 

Collin Sexton: Five Years of Ups and Downs

Drafted eighth overall out of the University of Alabama in 2018 by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Sexton emerged as the young leader of his team following LeBron James’ departure to Los Angeles. In college, Sexton was named to the All-SEC First Team and SEC All-Freshman Team as he was known for his impressive scoring ability, quickness, and athleticism, all attributes he brought to his rookie year. 

Following a successful sophomore season, in which he averaged 20 points per game, Sexton followed it up with an even more impressive third year as his 24.3 points per game average during the 2020-21 season ranked 18th in the league that year. Playing 35 minutes a game and starting 60 of his 60 games played, it appeared as if Sexton was on the path to becoming an All-Star. It was clear: Sexton was one of the rising stars in the league.

Yet, he was unable to land a long-term extension with the Cavs, suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee to cut his fourth year short, and was then traded to Utah alongside Lauri Markennen in exchange for superstar Donovan Mitchell. While front office personnel coveted the Finnish big man, it was the tantalizing prospect of Sexton running the show that had fans predicting he was the gem in the trade. 

“I want to show that I’m back and healthy and 100 percent,” Sexton also told Jones of The Athletic. “Every year for me is important, so I don’t put too much pressure on myself from that standpoint. I’m my biggest critic, so I’m always going to have a lot of expectations for myself.”

Even though he only played in close to half of Utah’s games this past season, as he was still battling injuries and conditioning, Sexton still managed to average 14.3 points per game, the third-best average on the team. Most importantly, perhaps, his 39.3 three-point shooting percentage was the second-best on the team out of those who took at least 100 threes.

He started the season especially hot. In 15 starts with the team, Sexton averaged 16.5 points, 4.8 assists, and 2.2 rebounds while shooting 53 percent from the floor and 37 percent from the three-point line on 2.6 attempts per game. The guard had a better than 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio and saw his shooting efficiency climb playing alongside the starters. Fans might’ve been right: he was a key piece in the trade and could do 70% of what DM45 did, right? 

Yet, the Jazz were only 6-9 in his 15 starts and clearly missed a more traditional offensive initiator. With him simply in rotation, the Jazz were average and a .500 team with a 24-24 win, loss record. 

“When it comes to making the right plays, I know that I’m capable of doing it,” Sexton continued with Jones of The Athletic. “I just have to go out and do it. But knowing this season is going to be important for me and for us as a team, I’m excited. I think that we have a chance to be really good.”’

The Revolving Door of Jazz Point Guards

When the Jazz moved from New Orleans to Utah, they had Ricky Green starting as point guard. After six seasons, it went to John Stockton, the point guard from Gonzaga, who handled the job as beautifully as one could for 19 years. As you know, he was Mr. Durable, playing every game in 17 of those seasons. Along the way, he picked up assists and steals records, sent the team to their first-ever NBA Finals appearance, and helped get them back the next year, too. He was the standard for a point guard, spoiling fans alongside the Wasatch Mountains on expectations for the position moving forward. 

The team went back to the drawing board for the position once Stockton retired. The tall order to immediately fill the Point God’s shoes was Carlos Arroyo, who started 71 games but put up a modest 12 points and five assists per game. The next season was Keith McLeod who started the majority of games, with Raul Lopez battling Arroyo for the nod when McLeod was down. 

In 2005, it became the Deron Williams show once he won over Coach Sloan and got the starting position around midseason. For the next six seasons, it seemed the Jazz had their long-term future penned down wearing #8 in the powder blues. He was dynamic, he was a star, and he led the Jazz back to winning ways until it was too much and drama happened and the guy was gone (as was the legendary coach, we might add). 

For the next decade, the point guard carousel went from Devin Harris to Mo Williams to Jammal Tinsley or John Lucas III. A glimmer of hope sprouted as the Jazz moved up in the draft to take Michigan’s Trey Burke, or as they picked #4 overall and grabbed Dante Exum. Instead, the wheels kept spinning with Raul Neto, Shelvin Mack, and George Hill. To take the team to the next level, trades brought in Ricky Rubio and Mike Conley, but Rubio was gone in two and Conley didn’t make it through four. 

This leads Jazz fans to the now as Collin Sexton, Talen Horton-Tucker, and Kris Dunn want to make a claim on the Defense Against The Dark Arts cursed position. In the post-Stockton era, D-Will holds the record for lasting five seasons.  Out of point guards on this current Jazz roster, can you see any of them running the show in the 2028-2029 Utah Jazz season?

Look At The Tape: What Do You Think? 

Sexton is clearly the best shooter of the Jazz’s options at the point position. He can keep the floor spaced for all the bigs and knows how to get a bucket. With the bigs being a focal point this upcoming season, spacing will be important. If Jordan Clarkson pops off the bench in a 6th man role, Sexton’s shooting will be crucial alongside Ochai Agbaji. If JC starts, the backcourt partnership could be fire and give the Jazz a lethal starting five. 

His energy is also unmatched compared to others on the roster. If coach Will Hardy continues to play fast as he demonstrated last season, Sexton is a perfect candidate to lead that charge. He has almost an innate ability to beat players off the dribble and bend defenses, especially when it comes to transition offense. 

Yet, Sexton is a score-first guy, going back to his ‘Bama roots and the way he played in Cleveland. John Keeffer of Salt City Hoops pointed out that his assist-to-usage rate percentage has been in the bottom 30 percent for his position since entering the NBA. In fact, Keef notes that in the two seasons that Sexton averaged over 20 points per game for the Cavs, their Offensive Rating ranked 26th and 28th in the NBA, and they finished a combined 41-96. 

Yet, tagging along with his score-first mentality, Sexton isn’t known for being a true facilitator. He has never averaged more than a notch above three assists a game and is notorious for getting caught in tunnel vision where he scrambles to make something out of nothing. With Markennen as the first option, Clarkson hovering as an instant offense weapon, and John Collins ready to take a leap in his new home, can Sexton set the table and help his dudes feast? 

“I’m getting back into the groove of things,” Sexton also said to Jones of The Athletic. “I think this season is going to be fun.” Sexton is saying all the right things, but will need to do them on the court starting next month. He will get the chance to prove he is the guy, that he is a true point guard, but he will have to win Danny Ainge, Will Hardy, and everyone else in Utah over along the way. 

My bet? He starts game one for the 2023-2024 season, but not in 2028.