Cleveland Cavaliers: Debunking 3 myths of a ‘failed’ season

Cleveland Cavaliers’ myth: Isaac Okoro was a bad pick

Isaac Okoro has been the unsung hero of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Although he isn’t having the flashy rookie seasons of LaMelo Ball or Anthony Edwards, Okoro is becoming the eternal flame that will prove to be a difference-maker in the future.

Aside from generational superstars, few rookies enter the league with the total package. Okoro is no exception, falling well-below league average as an offensive prospect but ranking near the top in nearly every other category.

Okoro is a hulk-type wing that has enough strength, athleticism and speed to take on the opponent’s best player each night. The 20-year-old has accepted the challenge of checking a wide array of offensive stars like Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal at various points of the season.

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To no surprise, Okoro clocks the eighth toughest average matchup of any defender this season. Even so, he has rarely been exposed by the superstars he goes toe-to-toe with, aside from the occasional bucket over his outstretched hands. Okoro makes opponents work for each one of their shots and the unfortunate truth is better offense beats good defense more often than not.

Nonetheless, Okoro has made an impact — even if it doesn’t show up in the box score all the time. He’s routinely working harder than 99 percent of the players on the floor and his raw basketball instincts have been impressive. Okoro has a strong understanding of where to be on offense and his cuts to the rim are always timely. He’s finished 33-of-49 (67.3 percent) attempts when dashing to the rim, placing him in the top half of the league.

As mentioned, his offensive limitations are concerning. Okoro is shooting just 30.2 percent from the 3-point line and his loose handle has restricted him from creating his own shot. His 32-point explosion against Phoenix was a good sign of what he is capable of when he’s able to bulldoze his way to the rim — but it isn’t something we’ve come to expect of Okoro just yet.

I don’t suspect it will be difficult for Okoro to improve as a ball-handler, modern training regiments are pretty good at working on that. Furthermore, his underwhelming 3-point shooting shouldn’t be much of a concern as his 73 percent free throw rate is an indication he will eventually expand his range.

Fair comparisons for Okoro would be that of Andre Iguodala, Jimmy Butler, Jaylen Brown and Jae Crowder. All of these prototypical wings have mastered the tiny details of basketball that make them so effective in their roles.

Rookie Season averages (Shooting splits)

• Andre Iguodala – 9.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists (49/44/74)
• Jaylen Brown – 6.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists (45/34/69)
• Jimmy Butler – 2.6 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.3 assists (40/18/77)
• Jae Crowder – 5.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists (38/33/64)
• Isaac Okoro – 9.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists (43/30/73)

Regardless of his current restrictions, the three-man line-up of Garland, Sexton and Okoro posted an Offensive Rating of 108.2 and a Defensive Rating of 106.9 in the month of April. They also maintained a positive Net Rating of +1.3 in 211 total minutes together. This is significant, considering the Cavs had an overall Net Rating of -4.3 in April. It is evident that Okoro is helping this team.

In the future, Okoro could blossom into a high-powered two-way threat. However, even if he doesn’t reach that ceiling, Okoro has a clear path to success by being an all-around impact player, similar to Iguodala’s contributions in Golden State.