LOS ANGELES — The reason why the Los Angeles Lakers shouldn’t be concerned about Collin Sexton’s historically bad defense boils down to his role will be and the insulation around him. When the Lakers secured Sexton on a two-year, $19 million deal utilizing their room exception this offseason, the move was widely praised as a savvy injection of dynamic bench creation. Collin Sexton brings a proven track record as an efficient, high downhill scorer, coming off a season where he posted 15.4 points per game on strong 48.5/40.1/85.5 shooting splits across time in Charlotte and Chicago. However, recent multi-year advanced metrics from popular X account, Basketball University has raised valid concerns regarding his defensive limitations.
What’s Causing The Raucous?
According to Six Factor RAPM data from nbarapm.com, Collin Sexton appears twice among the poorest non-overlapping three year Defensive True Shooting Percentage Value (dTS) stretches in modern tracking history. He posted a -3.6 rating during his 2018–20 stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers and a -3.0 mark during his 2023–25 run with the Utah Jazz. Because dTS estimates a player’s impact on opponent shooting efficiency in points per 100 possessions, negative numbers indicate opponents convert at a noticeably higher clip when Sexton is on the floor.
While these numbers point to a real limitation, context suggests this is a manageable issue rather than a structural flaw for the Lakers.
Context Behind Utah and Cleveland Defensive Stretches
The severity of Sexton’s metrics is heavily tied to the environment surrounding him during those windows:
- Extreme Rebuild Environments: The 2024–25 Utah Jazz operated in total tank mode, posting a near league worst 120.4 Defensive Rating and allowing 121 points per game. Paired alongside young, offense first guards like Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier, a defensive structure was virtually nonexistent.
- Individual Defensive Track Record: Independent impact metrics such as D-LEBRON and Crafted-DPM consistently grade Sexton as a below-average defender. His career defensive rating sits at 120.1, reflecting ongoing struggles with screen navigation, isolation containment, and defensive rebounding.
- Metric Noise in Non-Competitive System: While regularized plus minus (RAPM) methods isolate individual impact far better than raw on/off data, playing heavy starter minutes in poor schemes can magnify defensive limitations.
How Los Angeles Minimizes Exposure
In Los Angeles, Sexton’s role will look entirely different than it did in Utah or Cleveland:
- Insulated Defensive Infrastructure: Unlike the bare bones defensive schemes in Utah, Los Angeles will surround Sexton with high-end defensive anchors. Featuring elite rim protection from Walker Kessler alongside strong wing containment from Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle, and Ziaire Williams, the Lakers possess the physical tools to cover perimeter breakdowns.
- Defined Bench Role: Signed to replace the creation lost by departing reserves like Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard, Sexton will operate primarily as a second unit microwave scorer rather than a high minute starter.
- Accountable Scheme Culture: Operating in a core alongside Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, Sexton will play within a far more structured, winning environment under JJ Redick where defensive effort is non-negotiable.
While Sexton’s defensive metrics reflect a real flaw, his role in Los Angeles limits its impact. As a low-cost, high-efficiency bench spark, his offensive production outweighs the defensive limitations.
Find me on X: @f_rederic_k
