When the Cavaliers decided to put together a backcourt of Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, they envisioned nights like what they got in the season-opener against the Hornets. Behind Sexton’s 27 points and Garland’s 22 points, Cleveland(1-0) defeated Charlotte(0-1) 121-114 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Wednesday night.
Many have questioned whether two 6-1 guards, who both like to have the ball in their hands, can work for Cleveland. However, while they did allow Charlotte’s Terry Rozier to score 42 points, including 36 points in the second half on Wednesday, Sexton and Garland were very effective on the offensive end and combined for 49 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds.
“It’s always going to be downs; It’s always going to be ups,” Sexton said. “Once you figure it out, we will be solid. At the end of the day, I’m not going to doubt my guy. At the end of the day, he has my back, and I have his, so we’re going to go to war together. Simple as that.”
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, which shutdown the NBA season, Wednesday’s game against Charlotte marked the first time Cleveland had played a game since March. Last season, Cleveland had a lot of struggles. Ultimately, the team won only 19 games.
Entering this season, there is some hope for the Cavaliers, and according to the third-year guard, this team is much different than a year ago.
“I feel like we’re a changed team, completely,” Sexton said. “We got depth coming off the bench. We got some guys who know how to win, so I definitely feel like the message was sent. I feel like we have to continue to get better, continue to strive in the right direction so that everybody knows that we’re not going to lay down. We’re not going to roll over for nobody so that just comes on the defensive end. I feel like we’re the toughest team out there.”
Larry Nance Jr., who had 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists, agrees with Sexton and believes Cleveland will be tough to beat this season.
“We’re not doing what we did the past two years,” Nance Jr. said. “We’re not winning 19 games this year; we’re not winning 20 games this year; we’re not winning 25 games this year. We’re here. We’re a very real team with very real ambitions.”
The Cavaliers were without Kevin Love on Wednesday, who is dealing with a calf injury. However, Cleveland’s depth was on full display against Charlotte. The Cavaliers got 34 points from their bench, including 13 points from their newest addition JaVale McGee, who recently won a championship with the Lakers last season. Sexton views the 32-year-old McGee as one of the leaders of the Cavaliers.
“JaVale’s(McGee) a champion,” Sexton said. “He knows what it takes. You could hear his energy no matter what. He’s always there uplifting guys. He’s a straight leader, and he leads by example as well. We need that one vet that’s going to get into everybody and not sugarcoat anything, and I feel like that’s JaVale.”
It’s only one game, but this was a good start for the Cavaliers. They appear to have a nice mix of veterans and young players, which could serve this team well moving forward.
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