These 5 players have no business being ahead of RJ Barrett in recent NBA rankings

No. 91: Collin Sexton

Collin Sexton was drafted eighth overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, a year ahead of RJ Barrett entering the league. He increased his role over the next couple of seasons, becoming a really good on-ball scorer whose lack of size and off-ball ability shoehorned him into being a floor-raising guard best deployed off the bench than starting for a good team.

That put Sexton and the Cleveland Cavaliers into a stalemate, as they didn't want to pay him when they had Darius Garland as their small starting guard. He got his payday by being included in the Donovan Mitchell trade, and he accompanied Lauri Markkanen to the Utah Jazz. To Sexton's credit, he reinvented himself in Utah, learning to excel in a smaller role alongside different types of teammates.

He is an improved passer and playmaker, and he honed his efficiency, shooting 39.4 percent from deep. Yet what has not come around for Sexton is the defense. He is listed at 6'3" but plays like a much smaller player, completely overwhelmed by size and late providing any sort of help as a team defender.

It's a reasonable discussion as to whether RJ Barrett or Sexton is the better on-ball scorer, and Sexton is a better passer while Barrett is a better rebounder. But the size and positional versatility that Barrett brings, able to play multiple positions while Sexton is locked in at point guard, gives Barrett a huge advantage. He is a significantly better defender than Sexton and a full 17 months younger. This one seems clearly to be a mistake placing Sexton ahead of Barrett on this list.