Followed up what I felt was his best career game with another absolute gem last night and probably better individual performance. His confidence is picking up, and most importantly, he's been playing aggressively from start to finish. I had my doubts last year, and he still has a long way to go, but the talent is there.
I know the Garland vs. Sexton debate will continue to rage on for as long as they're both wearing wine & gold, and I get it. Building a contender around two 6'1 guards that play contrasting styles––fast for Sexton, slow for Garland––can be a challenge. But I've maintained the main reason our backcourt hasn't been effective has been less due to their size and more due to their youth, and frankly, Garland not being a starting caliber guard yet.
If both guys are good, and I think they are, I actually think their games complement each other decently well. Garland has embraced more of a distributor / natural PG role, while Sexton has been one of the most devastating young scorers in the league. Garland has the razzle-dazzle game, whereas Sexton is more of a straight line assassin.
I've also noticed the two starting to develop some on-court chemistry and are looking for one another on their drives. It feels much less of the "my turn, your turn" dynamic that we previously saw with Kyrie and Dion.
Of course, the concerns will always be defensively. I do think their offensive potential can overmatch their defensive shortcomings. I've noticed much improved effort from Garland the past few games, which is half the battle. Sexton has shown to be a plus defender on-ball, even though often out of position or ball-watching off-ball. One thing that rarely gets mentioned with Sexton is he's really long for a 6'1 guard. In the 2018 draft combine, his wingspan was measured at 6'7.25, which is just about average length for 2-guards.
They're the two most talented players we've got, and I wouldn't be in a rush to break them up. Having some lottery luck could allow us to draft a true franchise star that can tie together the rest of our roster.