The Los Angeles Lakers entered the second half of a back-to-back with a sizable problem. With no Austin Reaves (illness) and Quentin Grimes (right finger sprain), Luka Doncic needed genuine support running the offense. There was a call for players around him who could take the pressure off against a group of excellent perimeter defenders on the Atlanta Hawks.
That is where Collin Sexton came in.
Sexton had arguably his best game of the year, chipping in 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. The Lakers guard added six assists and one steal to that in his 27 minutes off the bench. All of that helped guide Los Angeles to an impressive 124-114 win over Atlanta.
Doncic still ended up playing 39 minutes and doing his fair share of heavy lifting against the Hawks. The Lakers superstar was masterful as always. There is no doubt there would have been so much more on his plate had it not been for Sexton's support in the backcourt.
Collin Sexton showed his value in Lakers' win over Hawks
It was earlier today that discussions were being had on why Lakers fans needed to be patient with both Sexton and Grimes. A game like this one offered a healthy reminder why it is important to let players work through early struggles. Los Angeles does not win this one without their veteran guard.
While it was not for teams who had winning aspirations, Sexton has played basketball that asked him to play big roles in offenses. The nine-year pro has a career usage percentage of 26.8. He also has two seasons of averaging over 20 points per game, and seven years of averaging over 15.
Sexton can take on a fair share of offense in a pinch. For a Lakers team that does not want to overburden Doncic or Reaves, that matters.
Amid a heavy slate of games to start the year that has already featured three back-to-backs, JJ Redick and the Lakers wisely split up the appearances of their two star guards in Doncic and Reaves for this consecutive pair of games. Sexton had an imperfect but important 17 points against the Detroit Pistons. The performance against the Hawks was even more essential.
Perhaps as the year goes on, Sexton's loudest critics will be proven right and the Lakers will be asked to upgrade that spot. In the meantime, his ability to scale up for Los Angeles brings value and a reason to be patient in that assessment. The former lottery pick can show up when it matters.
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