Cavs Rookie Collin Sexton Playing Well as Starter

The Cleveland Cavaliers are an NBA-worst 2-12 through Thursday’s games. Regardless of whether they planned to rebuild after LeBron James’ departure or thought they could partially weather the storm and stay competitive, the losses have piled up, and the team must clearly focus on the future, not the present. But a bright spot as emerged. Here’s Cleveland.com reporting on rookie guard Collin Sexton:

George Hill worked alongside Andrew Harrison on ball-handling drills while rookie Collin Sexton launched jumper after jumper at the opposite hoop.

Hill is getting closer to a return from a sprained right shoulder, which has sidelined him since suffering the injury late in the game against Orlando on Nov. 5. But his old starting point guard spot may be gone when he gets back, pried away by the rising youngster who has started to blossom since stepping into the lead role…

In four games as starter, Sexton is averaging 18.0 points on 48.4 percent from the field and 70 percent from 3-point range to go with 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

With him on the floor, the Cavs have an offensive rating of 102.3, which ranks fourth-best of any player averaging double-digit minutes in those games. The team’s defensive rating, a point of weakness for Sexton early on, is 102.0. That equals a positive net rating, one of three players capable of making that claim.

With Kevin Love out injured and a team that is racking up losses, Sexton, at least in four games as a starter so far, is worth keeping an eye on.

Denver Nuggets hire Sue Bird

The Denver Nuggets have added current WNBA Champion Sue Bird to their front office staff as a Basketball Operations Associate.

“We are very excited to have Sue join our organization,” said Nuggets President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly. “Her resume certainly speaks for itself and as a still active player she will offer an extremely unique perspective.”

Bird recently wrapped up her 16th season in the WNBA which saw her earn her 11th All-Star bid and third WNBA Championship, all with the Seattle Storm. The New York native attended the University of Connecticut where she won two National Championships before being selected first overall by Seattle in the 2002 WNBA Draft. Bird was named to the WNBA All-Decade team in 2006, has been All-WNBA First Team five times and All-WNBA Second Team three times and currently ranks first in the WNBA in career games (508), first in career minutes played (16,173), first in assists (2,831), third in points (6,154), third in made three-pointers (855) and fifth in steals (652).

“I’m really excited to join the Denver Nuggets organization. I’m thankful for the opportunity and look forward to learning from some of the best,” said Bird.

Knicks starting a flock of rookies

The Knicks have a solid, fun flock of rookies who aren’t big-time NBA players yet but have talent and have been enjoyable to watch this season. Here’s the latest update on several of them, and the starting lineup, from the New York Post:

The Knicks’ rookie power trio will start together for the first time this season.

David Fizdale has made one more starting lineup tweak, adding undrafted rookie guard Allonzo Trier in a small-ball shuffle that sends power forward Noah Vonleh to the bench and 2018 lottery pick Kevin Knox from small to power forward.

Amid a lousy start record-wise at 4-11, the lone upside is Fizdale buying in completely to a youth movement and showcasing the three promising rookies.

Center Mitchell Robinson has started over Enes Kanter since the season’s sixth game and will make his New Orleans homecoming Friday vs. the Pelicans.

Each rookie has shown flashes. They may not be winning much so far this first month of NBA action but they’re providing entertainment and the potential for legitimate growth as pros.

Billy King seeks return to NBA front office

Former Nets GM Billy King, an experienced basketball executive who also traded years and years of Nets first round draft picks away in a deal that never should have happened, reportedly seeks a return to an NBA front office. Here’s the New York Post with details:

Billy King knows he’ll always have to answer for The Trade, but the ex-Nets general manager would to answer for it if another NBA franchise will give him the chance.

King, now president of a startup television network, occasionally appears as a guest on NBATV but remains infamous for mortgaging the Nets’ future in what is considered the worst trade in NBA history. By some measures, it is the worst trade in sports history…

King was the GM who spearheaded the disastrous 2013 deal that brought Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry to Brooklyn. In return, the Celtics received everything but the lighting fixtures.

Gerald Wallace, MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries, Keith Bogans and Kris Joseph were sent to Boston, along with, most damagingly, first-round draft picks in 2014, 2016 and 2018, as well as swap rights in 2017.

King will have to work hard to overcome this, presumably by pointing to his other work spanning many years, and perhaps by sharing more about the mindset behind that big Nets deal, which even as it happened was obviously a very risky, massive gamble that came up craps. He certainly has the personality to win people over if given a shot.

He is a good guy. And has been fun to listen to as an analyst on TV.

But man… that trade.