What would a successful 2022-23 season look like for Cavs’ Isaac Okoro?

Last season, Cleveland Cavaliers wing Isaac Okoro had a similar season compared to his rookie season, going from 9.6 points as a rookie to 8.8 points last season, but shooting the ball more efficiently as a sophomore player, shooting 6% better from the field, and also 6% from better from distance.

However, his assists, steals and rebounds were practically the same both seasons. This upcoming season is a very important season for Okoro, and in the next offseason, Okoro will be eligible for a contract extension. Will Cleveland extend Okoro’s contract? Maybe, but it really depends on how well he plays in his 3rd year.

If Okoro wants to be an impactful player next season, he’ll have to prove it straight away. As of now, the Cavs have a lot of depth at the wing position, where Okoro plays. They have Caris LeVert, Collin Sexton, and Ochai Agbaji at shooting guard, and Lauri Markkanen, Dean Wade, and Cedi Osman at small forward, so Okoro really has to prove himself if he wants to earn quality minutes. Now, Osman is rumored to be a potential trade candidate, along with Dylan Windler it seems, but Okoro still needs to prove his worth in his time on the floor.

Here are a few thoughts on what a successful 3rd season would look like for Isaac Okoro.

First, Okoro has to strive for shooting 37% from distance, and have less hesitation.

Last season, Okoro shot 35% from 3, and according to StatMuse, Okoro shot a blistering 44.2% from distance after the All-Star break, which is very promising. Also, according to NBA.com’s shooting data, Okoro shot 44.7% from the corner triple post-All-Star break, which is also promising.

Will Okoro be a lights-out shooter next season? Probably not, no offense to Okoro. Shooting 37% after having a stellar second part of the season when it comes to shooting the ball should not be as difficult as it may sound.

In his rookie season, Okoro shot a measly 29% from distance, then 35% his sophomore year, an increase of 6%. This shows a lot of improvement and hard work coming from the Atlanta native. In my opinion, on offense, Okoro will sit around the 3-point line, and may drive in when he sees a lane from time to time. I also believe that Okoro’s zone will be the corner, where he’ll get a lot of good looks from All-Star Darius Garland.

Now, objectively, Okoro’s attempts decreased to 2.3 per game in his second year, and he was noticeably hesitant at times to pull the trigger. This next season, he needs to be more willing to shoot from deep, if an improvement in his efficiency is to be more impactful.

Secondly, Okoro has to be a better playmaker.

Okoro’s main position last season was at the 2-guard, and if he wants to play there more often, he’ll have to be a secondary threat when it comes to passing the rock. We all know Darius Garland can pass, but last season, the Cavaliers ranked 11th in assists per game, with an assist average of 25.2 per game. Okoro’s assist-to-turnover ratio in his second year was about 2.0, which is okay, but considering he only averaged 1.8 assists per game, the stat isn’t as eye-popping.

More playmaking is never a bad thing, and I think Okoro’s offseason priority, among others, should be trying to become a better passer, and for what it’s worth, more on-ball viability has reportedly been emphasized for him from the team.

In this case, if Okoro starts at the shooting guard, the starting lineup won’t really have any good playmakers outside of Darius Garland. Lauri Markkanen, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen aren’t known as pristine dime-droppers, so if Okoro could become a better passer, it would make the offense flow better and the team more successful.

Granted, Mobley is a player that has good vision and passing feel for a big, but Garland would need more help even still. And while Caris LeVert is reportedly likely to start at the outset of next season at the 2, Okoro could still potentially do so eventually, and/or still play a considerable amount of minutes.

Anyway, I think Okoro will have a great season next year, and he does show a lot of potential and has a lot of room to grow, so I believe next season will be a good enough season to earn a contract extension by the Cavs.