1 stud and 1 dud for Cavs in win over Raptors on Sunday

The Cavs dud from Sunday’s W against the Raps: Isaac Okoro

I’ll never discount what Isaac Okoro does for Cleveland on the perimeter and/or often at the point-of-attack on the defensive end. He’s done his part on that end of the floor at a high level for the vast majority of the season, and his defensive workload is among the toughest on the Cavaliers game-to-game, and he’s defended a variety of threats throughout the season.

However, in this last game against the Raptors, while he’s not generally going to be a crucial offensive contributor for the Cavs, Okoro being way off here was tough to see. He’s been more competent on catch-and-shoots from the corners this season, but those didn’t go this go-round either, and he wasn’t nearly as impactful on defense in this game on Sunday.

Overall, Okoro had only two points on 1-of-7 shooting, and with him being ineffective, he was only in for 22 minutes versus Toronto in this last Cavs contest. He was 0-for-3 from three-point range, and was unfortunately not able to get to the free throw line, which is generally an area of strength for him offensively, and he’s hit 77.4 percent from there this season.

I’m not going to read too much into this one from Okoro, honestly, and his defense will be the point of emphasis anyway, but he was just especially off from the field on Sunday. Hopefully, he can provide a bit more in coming games, perhaps in early offense in the open floor.

Regardless, with Okoro’s defensive abilities, it’s apparent that with Jarrett Allen sidelined, Okoro, Evan Mobley and players such as Dean Wade will be all the more important in coming contests.

Let’s hope the Cavs can build on this win on Sunday, anyhow, and that LeVert and Rondo can get back soon.