Why Sexland's success doesn't matter now or next year.
When the Cavs are a good team at least 8 of the 12 guys on the team will be different.
Injuries, trades and regular roster turnover will happen. Only guys that will be for sure Cavs on opening 2022-23 that are locks are Larry Nance, Jarrett Allen and Colin Sexton. Garland would be the other, Okoro to a lesser degree also. (Even as a top 5 pick Okoro makes 5% of the salary cap, at that price for the next 3 seasons what difference does it make)
Nance is a lifer whose Dad played here, and he went to HS here and wants to be here. He has a team friendly deal and fits offensively, defensively, mentality wise, ego wise, effort wide. emotionally and is a guy that continues to grow his skill set. And is a genuinely good guys from whats been said about him and from what I can tell from the cut of his jib.
JA will be locked up 4 to 5 years at seasons end. Anywhere from 60 to 100 million over 4 or 5 years. Obviously the Clint Capela deal is probly the benchmark. He fits either of our undersized guards that lack defensive instincts exactly as much as Capela fits Atlanta's defensively challenge guard. He fits offensively, defensively, mentality, ego wise, emotionally and is a guy that continues to grow his skill set. And is a genuinely good guy from all that's been said about him and from what I tell from the cut of his jib.
Guys like those aren't great players but fit well on all 30 NBA teams. Guys like them or PJ Tucker or Klay Thompson can fit in every locker room seamlessly and every roster offensively and defensively. Any 2 way player that gets better every year is a guy you want in the room. Some guys just don't rub anyone the wrong way and those guys should be Cavs for life, imo. If any team could put together a all personal responsibility roster they would instantly be my favorite franchise.
Sexland doesn't have to work till 2022/2023.
Someone can have a career threatening injury so why get rid of one? Look at Westbrook and Harden, why get rid of one when you can just see how they develop and you have matching rights? Even if you overpay for a guy they can still be redeemable like Otto Porter or Wiggins as long as they are not over the hill ala K Love or moody like Drummond. Sexton and Garland are by all accounts good guys and hard workers. Neither will show up out of shape or dog it on purpose or throw food and tantrums. Your talking about good kids from good families who respect the people around them, priceless.
Those decisions about which one of those guys should be around 5 years from now are pointless. Keep them both until you have to move one. Despite a freshman year in college and 1 and 1/2 NBA seasons Garland has probably played 82 basketball games since High School. He has so much room for growth and maturity on the court it's crazy. Sexton takes a lot of heat but the 22 year old is going to plateau as a 23 ppg scorer on 45+fg%, 37+3pt% and 85+ft% guy. Seeing as that's his floor over the next 6 years I would say that a great floor. His actual defense has only risen pairings but his intensity has risen miles. Pretty much every metric offensively and defensively has risen for Garland and Sexton. Why end the experiment if that's t he case just because we aren't a great team. So what. We weren't going to be that anyway. Imagine replacing Sexton with Tyler Hero who would fit better next to Garland we would suck exactly as much as we do now with all the injuries. Guys a young and look at Devin Booker in PHX, they were bad right up until the bubble. Even when you have hits on picks it takes awhile and some vets to get good.
In the future the Cavs will have 8 roster spots to fit around Sexland with the goal of making the homegrown picks work. For a organization that has zero free agency prospects at fair market price that is important. If it doesn't work then so what that's a problem for the summer after next whole season. Thats when we need to be able to confidently say this team should win 45 games.