Cavs 2020 NBA Draft: Even if 3 part doesn’t come, defense would justify Isaac Okoro pick
By Dan Gilinsky
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?