The Los Angeles Lakers clearly needed another ball-handler when Collin Sexton was out, but the veteran guard has provided a spark on both ends of the floor since returning from a calf injury. Sexton missed the entire preseason and the regular season opener. He had just five points in his return, but he instantly gave LA the ball-handler they needed. It is quickly becoming clear that won’t be all the purple and gold get from the 6’3 guard.
Sexton had 13 points, two rebounds, one assist, and two turnovers in 20 minutes in the comeback win over the Jazz. Utah had 47 first-quarter points and looked like they were going to blow out the Lakers in Salt Lake City. Los Angeles stormed right back with 45 in the second quarter and got a spark from Sexton’s energy and intensity. Luka Doncic had a 52-point double-double, but his supporting cast also stepped up to overcome Utah’s hot shooting.
Head coach JJ Redick is already seeing Sexton make an impact on both ends of the floor, and the guard still getting his legs under him. The career 38.9 percent 3-point shooter has made just two of his eight attempts thus far. Sexton is making positive impacts before he’s fully rounded into form.
Lakers are feeding off Collin Sexton’s energy
Sexton is fresh off an injury that forced him to miss the entire preseason. He has been back for less than a week, but fans are already seeing the energy he brings.
Head coach JJ Redick has long wanted a backup guard that applies pressure 94 feet and attacks the paint. He clearly sees Sexton filling that role. Here is what the head coach said about Sexton after Sunday’s win over the Jazz.
“There’s a level of insanity with him, and I think our team responds to insanity. It is a good thing. He comes in the game, and you know he’s in the game. Defensively, he’s trying to apply ball pressure. He’s trying to make hard closeouts. He’s trying to push the basketball, and he’s trying to touch the paint. There is an intensity to all that stuff, and our guys responded.”
The Lakers got off to an awful start against the Jazz, and Sexton helped spark the turnaround by doing little things. He can handle the ball and make plays. The Lakers are short on those players, but it is so much more than that. He is going to compete every night and bring a fire LA needs. Jake LaRavia is the same type of competitor. That is exactly what the purple and gold need in the second unit.
Collin Sexton is needed as a shot creator for the Lakers
The Lakers tried the available replacements with Sexton sidelined, and nobody took the job. Bronny James proved he is not a point guard after getting the first crack. Jaden Hardy is a score-first option who can’t be trusted to run the offense. Chris Manon is a defense-first guard who lacks the offensive skill to be in the rotation.
The Lakers played without a backup point guard in the season opener. They trusted Quentin Grimes to be the secondary creator as coach Redick staggered Luka and Austin Reaves. It was a bold and unsustainable strategy.
Sexton has averaged over 24 points per game for a full season and been a starting point guard. He dished out 4.9 assists every night in 2024. The 27-year-old will do whatever his team needs. Sexton is capable of getting buckets or running the offense. He has operated as a secondary creator or the primary. The Lakers need him to boost the offense whenever Doncic or Reaves needs a rest.
Collin Sexton is already proving to be a key addition
Fans had questions when Sexton signed a two-year, $19.2 million contract to join the Lakers this summer. It seemed like a hefty price for a 6’3 guard with zero playoff experience in his first eight NBA seasons. Luka and AR are elite creators. It left questions about Sexton’s fit, role, and price, but he is emphatically answering them all before completely knocking the rust off from his injury.
Two ball-handlers and primary shot creators are not often in the modern NBA. Sexton is the needed third piece. He is having to operate as a secondary creator next to Doncic or Reaves. The need, coupled with his spark off the bench, makes the price look like a steal.
The Lakers are 3-0 and just defeated the Jazz on a night where Utah shot over 50 percent from the field for the first 46 minutes. Los Angeles could have rolled over and accepted the loss after giving up 47 points in the first quarter. Sexton’s energy wasn’t going to let that happen.
The Los Angeles Lakers are getting a needed spark from Collin Sexton, and fans haven’t seen the best version of the guard yet. The franchise has nine new players and is still figuring things out. Sexton is a bit behind after missing the entire preseason. His energy and fight are needed. That alone makes Sexton worth every penny, and the Lakers are already reaping the rewards.
Add us as a preferred source on Google