Alabama Basketball Struggles And So Does Star Point Guard
As Alabama’s once-promising basketball season clangs off the rim like yet another missed 3-pointer, star point guard Collin Sexton’s chances of being a one-and-done player might be – and should be, quite frankly – done, as well.
The fact of the matter is that the way Sexton is playing down the stretch he’s simply not ready for the NBA. Now, the NBA often drafts players on high school potential rather than actual college productivity so he’ll probably still taken on June 21, but Sexton really needs another year in college. Here’s five reasons why:
1.) He’s Fading Down The Stretch
The length of the college basketball season appears to be taking its toll on Sexton. During the Tide’s five-game losing streak to end the regular season with a thud, he’s often disappeared so much it’s hard to know whether or not he’s even on the court. He’s also missing about half his free throws, usually a sign of fatigue (tho with this Alabama team being 250th out of 330 teams shooting free throws, it could be he’s simply conforming to the bad habits of other players). The NBA season is twice as long as the college season, plus with a lot of travel and back-to-back games in different cities, so if he’s worn out in late February/early March in college he’ll be gasping in January in the pros.
2.) He Can’t Consistently Shoot A Jump Shot Or 3-Pointer
Sexton is a dynamic player, particularly off the dribble when driving to the basket and racing down the court on fast breaks, but he’s not a good shooter. The last few regular season games, he’s only hit about 20% of his outside shots and overall, he’s shooting just .431 for the year, and that includes several drive-to-the-basket lay-ins. He’s been horrible from beyond the arc, going just 2-of-15 during the Tide’s five-game losing streak, including 0-for-9 the last three games and 0-5 against Arkansas.
For the year he’s shooting just 30% three-pointers and that’s from the college arc. If there’s one huge difference in Sexton and Oklahoma’s Trae Young, it’s that Young can shoot from the outside and bury three-pointers and Sexton cannot hit the “J.”
3.) He’s A One-Dimensional Offensive Player
Sexton gets most of his points driving to the basket. He has an incredibly quick first step and is either able to draw a foul or wiggle his way past taller defenders in the paint to put up incredible did-you-see-that lay-ins, but with little threat as an outside shooter, he’s a one-dimensional offensive threat. And that won’t cut it in the NBA.
4.) He’s Pushing Too Hard And Making Turnovers
As a whole, one of the trademarks of Alabama’s basketball team is having careless turnovers. Sexton is a contributor to this, often with the game going down to the wire. Sometimes he’s trying to do too much and make a SportCenter highlight pass (nothing wrong with putting on a good show) but too often he’s out of control or just sloppy with the ball.
5.) Overall His Game Lack The Polish To Currently Succeed In The NBA
All of the above factors show a raw talent who has had some spectacular moments and plays but who lacks the overall polish and consistency to be an NBA-ready player night in and night out in the league.
Don’t get me wrong, the guy has phenomenal potential. He just needs another year in school to refine his game to where he’s ready to succeed in the NBA.
All this being said, as stated earlier some NBA team will probably pick him mid-way through the first round. But maybe scouts, too, see these warning signs and this once sure-fire one-and-done’er could be done when it comes time for the NBA Draft.
UPDATE: So much for this article; Sexton’s spectacular showing in the SEC Tournament now has NBA teams salivating over Sexton.
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