NBA Draft: New player at the top of the 2020 NBA Lottery Redraft
player. 156. . Small Forward. Cleveland Cavaliers. Isaac Okoro. 5
2020 NBA Lottery Redraft, Pick No. 5: Isaac Okoro, Auburn
Back-to-back picks stay the same in our lottery redraft, with Auburn’s Isaac Okoro again going to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Defensively Okoro has jumped into a terrible situation, forced to take on the most dangerous wing assignment from the jump playing alongside sieves in Collin Sexton and Darius Garland. Visually he looks like he belongs on that end, as advertised.
Otherwise, he has been terrible to start the season. He can’t score, his rebound rate is incredibly low and he’s not making plays for others. He does not stay fifth on the merits of his play so much as his upside combined with fit. Another couple of months like this and he could drop to the back or even out of the lottery.
Team Fit: The Cavaliers have a crowded room of bigs, and two recent draft picks at the guard positions. That leaves a gaping hole at small forward and a glaring need for anyone who can be a wing stopper. There is no other player in contention here with elite defensive upside on the perimeter, which seals Okoro into this spot for now.
What’s Changed? Okoro was a raw offensive prospect, and that has shown out in a major way. Injuries on the Cavaliers have forced him into heavy action, and he averages 33.3 minutes per game, by far the most in the class. Over that time he has completely failed as an offensive player, and his best efforts have not saved defensive lineups. He has been worse than expected, but he was always going to take time to become something.