Collin Sexton will soon walk across the stage and don the hat of his new team as he is set to be in attendance for Thursday night’s NBA draft at 6 p.m. CT inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. That much is certain. Which team will select the former Alabama point guard is not.
Sexton earned SEC Co-Freshman honors while leading Alabama with 19.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game last season. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound point guard is widely thought of as a lottery pick, which would make him Alabama’s highest selection since forward Antonio McDyess went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Clippers in 1995.
“Tomorrow is going to be exciting, especially after the draft,” Sexton said in a university release Wednesday night. “Everybody is looking forward to it. There is so much excitement in the air because it’s the day that everybody is waiting for, just to see where you land and see your dreams come true.”
We’ll have to wait until Thursday night to find out where Sexton will begin his NBA career. Until then, here are where several experts expect him to land.
No. 9, New York Knicks
USA Today:“Bullish and aggressive, Sexton plays downhill, and he’ll need a team that wants to run with him. The Knicks could sorely use scoring out of their backcourt.”
Jeremy Woo, Sports Illustrated: "There’s a growing sense that the Knicks have zeroed in on drafting a point guard at this spot, in spite of their clearer need for help on the wing. New York is high on Trae Young, but doesn’t expect him to be on the board at 9. Given Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s similarities to Frank Ntilikina, who it seems will continue to spend time playing off the ball next season, Sexton makes sense. His ability to get into the paint and fearlessness on the big stage are a good fit with the Knicks, who took fliers on Trey Burke and Emmanuel Mudiay but have neither under contract past 2019. Sexton has a lot of growth to do in order to run a team as a starting guard, but New York can afford him some time to figure it out. If they do opt for a wing, Kevin Knox’s name has come up as a candidate."
The Ringer NBA Lottery Mock Draft: "Point guard has been a position of need for the Knicks since Rod Strickland, so [I’d] love to get a guy who competes at that position. Obviously, there are some downsides when you’re picking at [nine]—same as Frankie [Ntilikina, Sexton is] not a great shooter, questionable scoring skills, though he does draw a lot of fouls, which I like. I just don’t think you can have enough perimeter defenders in the league. If he is a poor-man’s Patrick Beverley, I like it.I think, also, when looking at his stats, you have to realize he carried the load at Alabama—like, he did everything. So he took a lot of tough shots because he was taking all the shots, and he was the guy everybody keyed on. I’m bullish on him. As I said, need a point guard—who’s the point guard of the future? Is it Frank? Is it Sexton? Is it Mudiay? They need to take as many swings at point guard as they can."
No. 11, Charlotte Hornets
ESPN Insiders: “I see Mikal Bridges as the last prospect left in my tier 3, pushing me down into the much larger fourth tier of about a dozen prospects. Given my philosophy of drafting for need within tiers, that left me considering the point guards available, none of whom projects quite this high by my model. (Elie Okobo is 16th, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 20th and Sexton 21st.) I went with Sexton because I think his ability to create shots gives him a little more upside. Sexton also has the best projection from the ESPN Analytics model.” - Kevin Pelton
Jonathan Givony, ESPN: "Kemba Walker has one more year on his contract and might not be in Charlotte's long-term plans. The Hornets are operating under a new coaching staff and front office, and they could be in line for a rebuild. Sexton brings tremendous aggressiveness driving the lane, taking off-the-dribble jumpers and putting defensive pressure on opposing guards. NBA teams have some concerns about Sexton's on-court decision-making and reckless style of play. Fiercely competitive, Sexton has shown enough flashes in the right areas to be comfortably projected as a starting-caliber point guard, with plenty of upside."
NBA.com Consensus Mock Draft: "Was second in SEC in scoring (19.2 per game); his toughness and competitive streak are viewed highly by pro evaluators, even drawing comparisons to Russell Westbrook."
Raphielle Johnson, RotoWorld: "Going with a point guard here makes sense for multiple reasons. First and foremost, there’s the fact that the Hornets really need to improve the depth behind All-Star Kemba Walker. Secondly, Walker’s entering the final season of his contract and the franchise does need to cover itself should he decide to head elsewhere in the summer of 2019. Sexton would be an option worth considering here, with the hope being that the spacing of the pro game would help boost shooting percentages that weren’t all too impressive during his lone season at Alabama."
HOW TO WATCH
DRAFT ORDER
1. Phoenix Suns
2. Sacramento Kings
3. Atlanta Hawks
4. Memphis Grizzlies
5. Dallas Mavericks
6. Orlando Magic
7. Chicago Bulls
8. Cleveland Cavaliers
9. New York Knicks
10. Philadelphia 76ers
11. Charlotte Hornets
12. Los Angeles Clippers
13. Los Angeles Clippers
14. Denver Nuggets
15. Washington Wizards
16. Phoenix Suns
17. Milwaukee Bucks
18. San Antonio Spurs
19. Atlanta Hawks
20. Minnesota Timberwolves
21. Utah Jazz
22. Chicago Bulls
23. Indiana Pacers
24.Portland Trail Blazers
25. Los Angeles Lakers
26. Philadelphia 76ers
27. Boston Celtics
28. Golden State Warriors
29. Brooklyn Nets
30. Atlanta Hawks
