End of Season Grades: Evaluating Jazz SG Collin Sexton

We’re a couple of weeks removed from Utah Jazz basketball, and it feels like a good time to go back and grade each Jazzman’s season. While nobody looks at a 51-loss season as some grand success, several players had promising individual campaigns, gave us flashes of a promising future, or some combination of both. Next up on our list is Collin Sexton.

If I could only pick one notable thing that happened from this Jazz season, my vote would be Collin Sexton’s breakout party. It’s hard to find the words to summarize Collin Sexton's leap from the first handful of weeks of the season to the level he played from post-December. It was as stark of a turnaround as I’ve seen from a player during the season.

In the 59 games he played since December 1st, Collin averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 assists, and 2.7 rebounds on a blistering 49.8% on field goals, 40.5% on threes, & 86.1% from the free throw line. He cemented himself as the team’s second-best player and is comfortably among the top 100 in the league.

Still just 25 years old, I expect Sexton to come back even better next season, given his tireless work ethic and desire to improve. Jazz head coach Will Hardy talked about how valuable it is to have a guy with Collin’s persona around, improving the whole organization.

One of the best parts of Collin’s season was that he stayed healthy. Had it not been for an illness (and an organizational incentive to lose), we might’ve seen him suit up for all 82 games. Especially for guys with major knee surgeries, the further removed from those you can get without complications, the better. Giving Collin another summer with a clean bill of health to work on his game is nothing short of a huge positive.

To get nitpicky, Sexton’s decision-making still has some left to be desired. He is elite at getting downhill and finishing at the hoop, but unfortunately, there are still some playmaking blinders he’ll hopefully continue to address going forward. If he can pick his spots better and try to find Lauri Markkanen at a higher rate, the arrow will continue to look up.

 I find it encouraging that he averaged a career-high 4.9 assists per game this year, a sign that his playmaking continues to improve. It’s worth noting that Sexton’s overall play took off once the Jazz stopped trying to saddle him with point guard duties. When he is allowed to play free and be himself, he’s very effective.

Anything less than an A wouldn’t be right for Sexton's leap this year. 'Young Bull' has turned himself into an unquestionable positive and intriguing young piece for the Jazz. He represents nearly everything you want in a player and has embraced the Jazz.

Grade A-

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