Heading into Sunday’s regular season finale for the Cleveland Cavaliers versus the Charlotte Hornets, plenty of rotational regulars are ruled out for seemingly minor ailments. A player Cleveland has not had in recent games even prior to the past couple, also, has been Isaac Okoro, who will not be in action on Sunday, in what will be his sixth consecutive absence.
Okoro has been dealing with soreness in his left knee, with what’s reportedly been a bone bruise. There was some encouraging news on the Okoro injury front from Saturday, though.
Okoro did not practice on Saturday, but Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reported how Okoro went through an individual shooting workout after practice. He reportedly has done “some light shooting” before the last two games at the Orlando Magic as well.
In Fedor’s report, it was meaningful that his source revealed how Okoro could’ve played if Cleveland’s games of late had more standing to them. With the Cavs then clinching the playoffs and since now locked into having home court advantage in the first round versus the New York Knicks, however, it’s been all the more sensible for Okoro to have not been playing.
The Cavs have had the clear right approach with Okoro, who has made progress.
Okoro is one of the Cavaliers’ crucial defensive players for his efforts on the perimeter. It’d be key for Cleveland to have him to play for stretches against the likes of Jalen Brunson, and feasibly to go at other points versus RJ Barrett.
Okoro’s ball pressure, and also strength and improved fluidity make him very valuable for the Cavaliers on defense, and he has shown growth as a team defender over the course of his third season.
Now, there’s still plenty of questions about Okoro offensively, especially in a playoff setting. Okoro offensively is still limited as an on-ball threat, and teams are likely going to continue to lay off him in set offense.
To his credit, he has shown marketed improvement as a catch-and-shoot player in recent months, however, and his shot in those situations does seem more fluid after his extensive work there over the past two seasons.
But, clearly, heading into the playoffs and the first round, to help the Cavs efforts generally, if Okoro can be able to go, it’d be a defensive boost. That’d be provided he doesn’t suffer any setbacks, of course; per J.B. Bickerstaff and via Fedor, Okoro is considered ‘day-to-day,’” for what it’s worth.
What’s fair to say on the Okoro front is the Cavaliers have definitely had the right approach in managing his progress, and Fedor’s report was at least encouraging.
We’ll keep on the lookout for further updates, with the Cavs’ first playoff game to come against the Knicks either next Saturday or Sunday.