The Utah Jazz are bringing a lot of non-traditional, score-first point guards to training camp in October: Talen Horton-Tucker (who started at the one after the trade deadline last season), Kris Dunn, Jordan Clarkson, and even rookie Keyonte George could get some run there.
Add Collin Sexton to that mix. He makes the most sense as the starting point guard in Utah on paper, but he needs to prove he is both healthy after missing large chunks of last season due to hamstring injuries, and that he can be a distributor and not just a scorer (which is how he’s perceived around the league). Sexton told Tony Jones of The Athletic he is ready to do all of that.
“I want to show that I’m back and healthy and 100 percent...” Sexton told The Athletic. “I’ve been watching a lot of film this summer. I want to be able to try and take over the point guard role. I want to show them that I can run the show. I’m getting back into the groove of things. I think this season is going to be fun.”
“When it comes to making the right plays, I know that I’m capable of doing it,” Sexton said. “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 Jazz have a talented roster, adding John Collins next to Lauri Markkanen at the forward spot, with Team USA member Walker Kessler at the five (and expected to take a step forward off his rookie season). The challenge with that group is none of them are high-level shot creators for themselves, they require someone else to set them up. Mike Conley did that for Utah last season, but he was not the long-term answer and was traded to the Timberwolves (another team needing a point guard to set up its bigs).
Sexton is the best shooter of the Jazz’s options at the point, he can keep the floor spaced for all those bigs and knows how to get a bucket. However, Sexton has been a score-first (and second) guard his entire career. He will get the chance to prove he is more than that this season, that he is a true point guard, but he will have to win Danny Ainge, Will Hardy and everyone else in Utah over.
Sexton is saying all the right things, now he has to do them on the court.
