Tracking the emergence of Cavs wing Isaac Okoro in his third season

January Okoro: The 21-year-old’s arrival

Flip the page from 2022 to 2023, and you’ll see Okoro on the front page, the Cavaliers talk of the town as of late. If the front office was spazzing about adding an additional piece for a deep playoff push, they might be less desperate now.

Bickerstaff and company have tried a different variety of starting lineups through the course of this season. Looking for consistency in every phase of the lineup is what the recipe calls for.

Should they still add one? Yes. But with Okoro’s recent play, we’re not scrounging the floors anymore like a Gen Alpha on the hunt for their vape. Things are smooth.

During the month of January, Isaac Okoro is averaging 22.7 minutes, 8.7 points, and is tied for a team-high in steals with Donovan Mitchell, averaging 1 per game. Not to mention leading the team in 3-point percentage at 62.5 percent.

It’s been 92 days since the start of this season, and this is Okoro’s best month, which shows his steady progression; for a young guy most had seemed to give up on early this year, he’s playing out of his mind during the Cavaliers’ previous five games.

In the last five, Isaac Okoro is averaging 24.9 minutes, 10.2 points and leading the squad with an overall field goal percentage of 72.0 percent. He also leads the Cavaliers in overall three-point, percentage shooting 64.3 percent from behind the arc.

Okoro’s effective field goal percentage (90.0) is a team-high among Cavs’ players who average twenty minutes or more over the last 5 games. The former one-and-done also has the team-high for catch-and-shoot percentage (96.4) among Cavs’ who average 20 minutes or more over the previous five games.

In a road game on Wednesday night against the third-best team in the NBA, Okoro stepped up and contributed big time. With the team already on the road again, Mitchell was out due to a groin strain, which put the Cavs’ team in another uphill battle.

Okoro, yet again, gave the Cleveland Cavaliers another reason to feel giddy during the game in Memphis. Making his 16th appearance as a starter, Isaac played a total of 34 minutes. He shot 100 percent from the field on 6-of-6 shooting, totaling 17 points. Plus, he shot 100 percent from deep, knocking down four triples in the narrow 115-114 loss to the Grizzlies on Wednesday night.

Is No. 35 here to stay?

The progression is there, and the numbers prove it. You suddenly pray to the Basketball Gods that this is his true breakout season because the kid from Georgia is on an absolute tear. Okoro has certainly arisen from the dog house, and it only makes this team that much better, but does his play continue to rise?

You love to see the Cavs finally getting a return on one of their investments at the perfect time. Injuries are going to continue; that’s just part of the game, and the team still needs to add another consistent scorer, but the soon-to-be 22-year-old is coming into his own.