Cavs Player Grades: More shot flashes from Okoro in ’23, defense still key
By Dan Gilinsky
Evaluating Okoro’s 2022-23 offensive play
Okoro is not a player who is going to be known for lighting up the traditional box score, as it pertains to his offensive splits. Through three seasons, he’s averaged 8.2 points in 27.6 minutes per game, with 174 of his 210 career regular season games being starts.
Whether Okoro has been starting or coming off the bench this season, him having a 20-plus-point night has not been something one could anticipate happening. This year, his season-high has been 20 points, and clearly, fans aren’t going to expect him to explode as a scorer in his appearances.
On the plus side, after an ice cold beginning to the season, Okoro has rebounded as a catch-and-shoot threat in a nice way. Since the turn of the calendar to 2023, he has connected on 44.1 percent of his three-point attempts.
He has shown progression as a corner three shooter, which have constituted the overwhelming majority of his attempts, at 85.4 percent of them. He’s converted on 37.7 percent of those looks, and overall on the season, has hit 36.3 percent of his threes.
Nonetheless, when one is examining Okoro’s offensive game, it’s still very limited, and his three-point volume is never going to be high. This season, it’s been 2.3, and since the turn of the calendar, it’s been 2.6.
With that in mind, and Okoro still not being much of an on-ball threat as a scorer or playmaking option, it’s still tough to forecast whether or not he’ll eventually be a legitimate two-way player. He’s made strides as a catch-and-shoot player, and his finishing has been good at times attacking closeouts and as a cutter this season, but he has still has a ways to go offensively for one to be sold on him as a notable piece long-term if the offense doesn’t become more refined.