Collin Sexton is playing the way Will Hardy has always thought he could

Will Hardy admits that he can be tough on his players, particularly the guards.

But more often than not, he’s hard on them because he sees potential and he truly wants to see them get better, not just because it would benefit the Utah Jazz, but also because he cares.

Collin Sexton is a player who likes to be coached hard and always is the first one to say that he appreciates Hardy’s approach. He can handle the criticism and he knows that it never comes from a malicious place.

The Jazz head coach has said many times that Sexton’s super power is his ability to put pressure on the rim with strong drives to the basket. His speed and skill gives him a huge advantage in those situations.

Too often in the past, though, Sexton has squandered that super power by ultimately making the wrong decision after he gains the advantage over a defender.

But lately, Sexton has shown growth.

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In the Jazz’s 125-108 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night, Sexton finished with a team-high tying 27 points. But it was how he went about getting those points and what he did to help the rest of the team that was the most important and most impressive.

“His decision making, finding the corner more in pick-and-roll,” Hardy said. “He’s showing real growth in terms of the technical part of the game and the reads that he’s making with the ball.”

It’s the strength of Sexton’s drives that helps to collapse the defense and opens up the rest of the floor. Sexton also had six assists on Monday and gave the Jazz even more opportunities outside of that.

And the ball movement from players like Sexton — players who are known for their isolation scoring — is contagious and has a domino effect that can impact plays down the line in a game.

“It makes all the difference in the world,” John Collins said. “Him using his effectiveness to drive and get to the rim, that first-step quickness to get himself a bucket or get others buckets, it just opens everything up. Offensively it allows us to just play an easier style.”

And when Sexton does decide to go all the way to the rim, he’s playing with more strength, which allows him to get through contact and punish the defense. On Monday he went an incredible 12 of 13 from the free throw line.

“He does a good job of playing in straight lines and I think he gets fouled more than he gets the whistle,” Hardy said. “Tonight, he was really adamant about not bailing out his defender by trying to sort of round out his drive.

“I think he did a really good job playing through guys’ hips and I think he did to them what teams have done to us where people got their hands caught in the wrong spot. He gathered through their arms.”

The improvement from Sexton has also coincided with an opportunity to start for the Jazz with injuries to Jordan Clarkson and Keyonte George shortening the guard depth.

In four starts for the Jazz, Sexton is averaging 27 points, 4.5 assists and is shooting 38.4% from 3-point range.

“It’s great when guys play the way that you would envision them playing,” Hardy said, “and then it’s even better when they get a night where the numbers show them, in a different way, that what they’re doing is paying off.”