LeBron James has been at his best when he has a scoring and electric guard beside him.
Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports
In Miami, it was Dwayne Wade. Four NBA Finals appearances and two championships.
In Cleveland, it was Kyrie Irving. Three Finals and one, historic championship.
On Thursday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Collin Sexton with the 8th overall pick. A player whom LeBron’s camp supposedly likes. But is it enough to get the King to stay in Cleveland?
Great try, but probably not.
Sexton, 19, averaged 19.2 points and 3.6 assists a game as a freshman at Alabama. During pre-draft workouts, he was also praised for his character and competitive nature by multiple teams. Similar traits to the previous highly selected point guard and traits that James would surely appreciate.
The Cavs are hoping that Sexton can produce similar numbers as Irving. So much so, that they gave him Irving’s number less than 24 hours after his selection.
Cavs wasting no time, hand No. 2 to Collin Sexton. You of course remember the last player to wear the number
— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) June 22, 2018
This may not strike well with the fan base, as Irving was immortalized for hitting the game-clinching three that won them their only title. But if the selection of Sexton gets LeBron to stay, then I’m sure the fans will overlook it.
But that is mostly likely not going to happen.
Even with Sexton, the Cavs still have problems deeper than who’s their starting point guard. The team was basically embarrassed by the Warriors, and adding Sexton doesn’t bring them closer to taking down the Golden State Warriors or any other super team.
They need some more reliable role players, and perhaps another star. Sexton isn’t that star yet.
The Celtics and Sixers will both be better by the start of next season, and the addition of even a promising young pick like Sexton won’t be enough.
Cleveland should expect to leave, and hopefully this time around, they will let him go in piece and are happy that he at least brought one title home.
