Cavs: Collin Sexton will miss the rest of the season and that’s a huge blow

Cavs lose Collin Sexton for the season

The Cleveland Cavaliers officially lose Collin Sexton for the remainder of the season, after the Cavs star guard opted to go under the knife in what is believed to be the best move for his career in the long run.

Sexton suffered a meniscus tear during a Cavs road win against the New York Knicks back on November 7, after he appeared to bang knees with center Jarrett Allen. He left the game shortly after, taking his time to get back up following the collision, and was visibly favoring the knee.

While the eighth overall pick of the 2018 draft did try to return to play, he was promptly taken out and underwent an MRI at the Cleveland Clinic Sports Health, with his long-term prognosis then uncertain.

The Cavaliers released an official update today, stating Sexton “underwent successful surgery on Nov. 17th to repair a meniscus tear after additional evaluation over the past week determined that surgery was the best course of action to treat the affected area,”

“The procedure was performed by Dr. Kyle Hammond at Emory University Sports Medicine Center in Atlanta and his return to basketball activities will be updated as appropriate,” the release added.

Sexton is also set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season.

Collin Sexton being out deals a huge blow to the Cavs

The Cavaliers have been playing without at least four or five, on-and-off, regular rotation players due to various health reasons this early in the season, but losing one of the team’s best scorers for the entire season certainly hurts the most.

Sure, the 6-foot-1 bucket-getter might not be the most talented player on the roster and is certainly of many limitations, but all the intangibles he brings both on and off the floor as a leader for the young team during this wearisome rebuild cannot be understated.

By all accounts, Sexton is also one of the most hard-working and humble players in the organization. Even after failing to agree on a contract extension during the offseason, ‘Young Bull’ immediately went back to work at the team facilities without so much as a word of complaint.

Even after becoming a target by pundits who question his talent and place in the team, the 22-year-old never publicly groused or retorted any of the criticism like many young players in this day and age would. He just puts his head down, drowns out the noise, and does his thing.

The blue-collar work ethic Sexton exudes just resonates with Northeast Ohio, and with the culture that the organization is trying to build under general manager Koby Altman and head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. Needless to say, he is a huge part of the team’s turnaround.

While it is truly a letdown that he could no longer take part in what could truly pan out as a resurgent year for the franchise, the hope is that the setback will push him to bounce back even better in the seasons to come–hopefully still wearing the wine and gold.