Cavs: Off-ball offense is selling point for Onyeka Okongwu in 2020 NBA Draft

Okongwu would help Cleveland Cavaliers shooters as a highly effective screener

The first off-ball aspect that would pay dividends for Okongwu, who would seemingly be Andre Drummond’s primary backup at the 5 next season, would be as a highly effective off-ball screener.

For players such as realistically, Kevin Love, Darius Garland, Collin Sexton and Dylan Windler, who is healthy now, for instance, Okongwu could consistently aid them in getting open looks from three-point land. The 6-foot-9, 245-pound USC product times up his off-ball screens for shooters really well, in regards to his timing and his quickness even at his frame helps perimeter shooters get more air space.

In plenty of stretches on the floor with Windler, in particular, who could end up being Cleveland’s best off-movement shooter next season, Okongwu being on the floor with him off the bench could definitely be meaningful for Windler in getting more open. The same could again go for Love, Sexton/Garland, one would imagine as well, in relief of Drummond, and maybe for Cedi Osman.

If defenders of those players were to eventually cheat over to get around those screens from Okongwu, players such as Windler and Love could also counter that by cutting directly toward the basket, and get some easy interior looks.

Okongwu is very heady when it comes to rescreening/at times cross screening and/or having an impact via staggers first/then flares, too. That could really aid Garland and Windler as relocation options for the Cavaliers.

Moving on, the second key off-ball offensive selling point for Onyeka Okongwu in the 2020 NBA Draft for the Cavs relates to offensive rebounding.