Cavs 2020 Draft: Two realistic expectations for Isaac Okoro if he’s the pick

#2: Still helping the Cavs offensively, but as a complementary piece early

While still developing on offense, Okoro’s second expectation as a rookie can be to still be an offensive factor, just more as a complementary piece early on.

Okoro can be a quality secondary playmaker and showed that skill at Auburn as he showcased the ability in college to finish around the rim well with touch, and he can also finish through contact. That played into him hitting 60.7 percent of his two-point attempts in 2019-20. And overall, Okoro also seems to be an unselfish player who knows his role well, and is an instinctive cutter, which should translate.

With defenders paying attention to the playmaking guards, Okoro can use his quickness and solid ability to cut to the rim to get the Cavaliers easy baskets. Okoro only shot 28.6 percent from beyond the arc and in today’s NBA being able to shoot three-point looks is vital to having a role on any team, and more so on the perimeter.

Okoro is one of the younger prospects in this year’s draft (he does not turn 20 until January of 2021), and there is still plenty of room for him to grow as a shooter. But back to my earlier point, it is not easy to find young players who want to play defense. Okoro not only wants to play defense, but he is also engaged and relentless on that end of the floor.

Certainly, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff would welcome that attitude to the team, and it could even rub off on the young guards, who are not as well known for their defense.

To build any successful team, you need complementary pieces, and the Cavaliers backcourt appears to be taking shape, and they do not have any trouble scoring, and that’s factoring in KPJ seemingly due for an expanded role, too. So who better to add than a defensive-minded player who can guard multiple positions at #5 in the 2020 NBA Draft?

While the Cavaliers team is far from a finished product, adding a player like Isaac Okoro and not putting any pressure on him to score early would be ideal for this group looking to come out of the  Eastern Conference basement and be a competitive team.