Cleveland Cavaliers: 1 STUD, 1 dud from OT win over Bulls

Dud from OT win over Bulls: Cavaliers wings

While it feels wrong to call anyone on the Wine and Gold a “dud” after last night’s comeback win, they are not free from some level of criticism.

Coming into the season, all the talk was about the Cavaliers having four All-Star-caliber players in their starting lineup. However, the one position on the team where there were quite a few question marks was the wing position.

Isaac Okoro and Lamar Stevens are both key members of this Cavaliers squad due to their relentless effort on the defensive end. That said, their contributions on the offensive end aren’t always consistent.

Where wings such as Okoro and Stevens can make their mark on offense is knocking down corner three-point shots. However, this has not been something either one can accomplish consistently.

Okoro is hitting just 24.6 percent from beyond the arc for the season, while Stevens is slightly better at 31.1 percent from three-point range.

Last season Okoro was able to hit 35 percent of his three-point shots, and that 35 percent clip should be the goal for both him and Stevens. The goal is to be a threat from beyond the arc so the defense can’t leave them to help on Mitchell or Garland.

Realistically Okoro and Stevens are both role players on a contending team, and the Cavaliers are likely to need to look for a trade to acquire a starting-caliber wing; the team is reportedly expected to be in the trade market for a wing, too. But for now, they must make do with rotating Stevens and Okoro, and their performances will likely be inconsistent on the offensive end.

The Cavaliers, as a whole, can’t rest on their laurels too long as they have one more home game before embarking on a tough five-game road trip out West, where they will look to improve their road record.