Through three seasons, when generally discussing the play of Isaac Okoro for the Cleveland Cavaliers, one is going to first talk about his defense. When Okoro was selected fifth overall in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Cavaliers, it was for his perimeter defense.
Okoro is probably always going to be mostly known for his play on the defensive end of the floor, where he’s steadily gotten better there, and his ball pressure has helped set the tone for the Cavaliers there.
Now, naturally, Cleveland’s starting frontcourt players in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are going to garner plenty of the attention for their work for the Cavaliers’ top-ranked defense, with their versatility, length and IQ.
That’s to be expected for those two, who are the pillars for the Wine and Gold there, but players like Okoro, Lamar Stevens, Dean Wade and Caris LeVert have all aided Cleveland’s on-ball defense on the perimeter, too, which shouldn’t be glossed over. Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell have been very timely rotators as well, from there.
Circling back to Okoro, here, though, the defense is the constant with him, in what Cleveland is expecting him to provide game-to-game. Offensively, there’s much to be desired, on the other end, that is.
To his credit, Okoro did show some real growth on the offensive end as the season progressed for the Cavaliers, and after an especially rough beginning to the season there, he did pick things up as a catch-and-shoot threat, and got better as a finisher.
So, how did Ice grade out this season for the Cavs? Let’s dive in.
In our next edition of KJG Cavs Player Grades, we’ll evaluate Okoro here, beginning with play offensively.
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.
Okoro’s offensive grade: C+
Evaluating Okoro’s 2022-23 defensive play
Okoro’s proven to be one of the Cavaliers best defenders as he’s gotten more experience in recent seasons with the team. He was effective last season in his role on that end, and this season, his tenacity in making opponents work so hard for their looks on the perimeter has been one of the key reasons for Cleveland’s success.
Okoro’s regularly been in primary coverage against opponent’s significant perimeter offensive options, and his improvements in screen navigation and shot contests have factored into his continual strides made defensively.
Now, objectively, against some bigger wings, Lamar Stevens and Dean Wade are more viable, from a length perspective. But Okoro, for the most part, has been an integral part of Cleveland’s defense this season, with the ball pressure he’s applied on the perimeter against lead guards and go-to scoring wings, and he’s done a better job of recovering when needed.
Additionally, Okoro deserves his share of credit for his growth as an off-ball defender over the course of his third season. He could still improve when it comes to some contests of movement shooters, however, he has had some big plays for the Cavaliers when it comes to deflections and he’s had some impressive weak side blocks.
In his role, Okoro is not going to have the raw steal numbers of some others, but his steal and block rate both seeing an uptick to 1.7 percent in his third year has been a further sign of off-ball growth defensively. He’s done a solid job of tagging cutters as a rotator as well, which has deterred some easy baskets at times, to that point.
On multiple fronts, Okoro’s been impactful for the Cavaliers on defense, and hopefully, he can eventually be able to go in the Cavaliers first-round series against the New York Knicks. He’s missed Cleveland’s past five contests due to knee soreness, which had reportedly been lingering for quite some time prior to that as well.
Okoro’s 2022-23 defensive grade: B+
Lastly, we’ll rationalize our overall grading for Ice.
Examining Okoro’s overall play
Okoro has been a crucial player for the Cavaliers on the defensive end this season, and as the year has worn on, there were more shooting flashes from him.
However, looking onward, it would be sensible for Cleveland to look to potentially upgrade the 3 position, particularly if LeVert is not back. Okoro playing legit minutes can make a difference for the Cavaliers defense, clearly, but he still needs to improve offensively for him to solidify being a long-term piece, let alone starter. Those are some of the reasons why a potential extension number for him is difficult to project.
Even having said that, it’s evident he has value within Cleveland’s rotation, and he still is only 22. Another offseason could help.