Okoro has the makings of an impact defender for the Cleveland Cavaliers
What jumps out regarding this 2020 NBA Draft prospect in Okoro is again, his defensive capability. For such a young player, Okoro has great team defensive instincts, and that played significantly into him having 0.9 steals per outing.
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Okoro’s recognition stands out, and that led to him being active in making plays in passing lanes as a rotator, and that often led to Auburn getting out and running in transition going the other way as a result.
Not to mention, for a wing, Okoro having 0.9 blocks per game was especially noteworthy. That again was to a large degree coincided with Okoro’s team defensive feel, and his timing in rotating both on the help and weak side.
In turn, that sort of thing would bring a key impact for the Cavaliers in coming years, and could help out the likes of Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, Kevin Porter Jr. and others. So what about the on-ball aspect for Okoro?
Okoro is more than capable of defending 1-3, and I believe at a high level, and as the aforementioned Pearlman hit on, some opposing 4’s. That last part doesn’t apply to Florida State’s Devin Vassell, whose a slender build.
Okoro is a fluid athlete, which allows him to maneuver around off-ball screens well to contest shooters and also deter drives, and he has better lateral quickness than Osman. That usually ensures he won’t be at a disadvantage against volume on-ball creators on the wing, and that relates to his on-ball coverage against 2’s and 3’s.
Okoro is highly capable in pick-and-roll coverage on the perimeter as well, and his capability there would allow the Cavs to stay more matchup-sound than Osman, for instance.
Okoro could be an impact defender for the Cavs, at least to a large extent, in the near future for Cleveland, factoring in both the team and on-ball sense.
So what could be expect on the other end for Cleveland, whether or not the shot comes for Okoro, then?