Isaac Okoro is invaluable for Cavs, and J.B. Bickerstaff knows that

The Cleveland Cavaliers have missed Isaac Okoro the past four games.

Early on, we saw that Isaac Okoro could be an impact player for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He did have some rookie moments defensively in Cleveland’s second game of this season versus the Detroit Pistons, and Okoro was held scoreless then, and missed his four shots.

That said, the rookie wing had an impressive preseason, and still in that second game, he did come up with some winning plays, made some heady passes, and as a team defender, still looked to make plays from a rotational sense.

And in Cleveland’s first game, Okoro, who started at the 3, had a productive all-around contest in his first game for the Cavs, too. In that one versus the Charlotte Hornets, he had 11 points on four-of-five shooting, to go with five assists and three rebounds.

For a rookie in his first NBA game, that was encouraging, especially when you factor in the shortest offseason turnaround for the league in its history.

The point is, while Okoro does need to further progress in the near future as a scorer, as a shooter, realistically, the way he defends and is uber-switchable, also, and makes winning plays for a 19-year-old, leads me to believe he’ll be Cleveland’s long-term starting 3.

Unfortunately for him and Cleveland, Okoro sprained his left foot in that Detroit game, which was a double overtime W, and he was placed into the NBA’s novel coronavirus health and safety protocols recently. He’s missed the past four games for the Cavs, and it’s evident that Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff knows that Okoro is an invaluable piece for Cleveland, already.

Bickerstaff, via Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, noted during shootaround before Saturday’s gritty win at the Atlanta Hawks, that it’s “difficult,” to have not had Okoro in there.

And these comments from Bickerstaff, again via Fedor, drove home how the Cavs have missed Okoro not being in there for them, too.

"“It’s just Isaac. He makes you feel comfortable. He makes you feel like you can trust him because of the way he plays,” Bickerstaff said. “He’s safe with the basketball. He doesn’t mess up many assignments. He executes offensively where he’s supposed to, and he just does all the little things that make the game of basketball easy. He made us feel extremely comfortable that we can rely on him while he’s out there on the floor.”"

Okoro’s invaluable for the Cavs, and Bickerstaff already knows that.

The Cavs, in the Okoro absences, have started Larry Nance Jr., Cedi Osman and Dante Exum at the 3, and although Nance provides a somewhat similar all-around skill set, he’s in a starting 4 role currently in coming weeks with Kevin Love (calf strain) sidelined.

Fedor hit on how the other two are not players that are frankly, cut out for that role in replacement of Okoro, either. And it’s evident that Osman is meant to be a bench player; the same goes for Exum, who is more so a reserve 1/2, albeit Exum has been good defensively, but make no mistake, Okoro is the plug-and-play starter ideally.

Moreover, Fedor demonstrated how although the basic box score splits might not necessarily jump out with him, in a general sense, the Cavaliers have benefited from Okoro’s presence.

He did state how the sample size was small, and against Charlotte and Detroit, but the way Okoro can affect games in a number of ways and impact winning is apparent, even at 19.

"“Nonetheless, with Okoro, the Cavs boast an offensive rating of 117.6, compared to 102.8 without him. That’s the difference between a Bucks-like attack and the 25th-ranked Minnesota Timberwolves. The defensive numbers are better — albeit not as drastic. Opponents have a 101.9 offensive rating against Cleveland with Okoro playing and a slightly-upgraded 104.6 without him.”"

That was coming into Saturday’s slate of games, for context, as far as ratings. But Fedor then noting in that report how the Cavs feel as if Osman is better-suited to be in a bench role plays into again, how Okoro is invaluable, to drive that home.

Okoro gives Cleveland a high-level defender that can aid players such as Garland, Sexton and others in stretches at the 3, and he could definitely help the Wine and Gold, both with his ball pressure and finishing/athleticism, in the transition game.

Albeit on the plus side, the Cavs are “eyeing” Cleveland’s upcoming matchups at the Orlando Magic on Monday and Wednesday, per Fedor, for Okoro to return.

Given his all-around impact and how he helps/fits in with a variety of players it seems and is a winning player, as Bickerstaff illustrated, he’s invaluable for Cleveland. And again, as Fedor touched on, J.B. knows that already, in regards to the Auburn product.

Let’s hope Okoro is indeed back soon enough, but to be fair, I don’t want to take away from Cleveland’s comeback W over Atlanta on Saturday. They were at one point down by 15 versus the league’s most efficient offense coming in; regardless of whether or not the Hawks were on the second leg of a back-to-back.