3 impacts Cavs daft pick Isaac Okoro will have on the 2020 roster
The Cleveland Cavaliers have their newest pick, taking Auburn’s Isaac Okoro with the fifth overall selection the 2020 NBA Draft.
In taking one-and-done small forward, the Cavs surprisingly bypassed Deni Avdija and Dayton’s Obi Toppin, two players consistently linked to the franchise for the better part of five months.
Prior to taking Okoro, the Cavs were rumored to be talking to the Knicks about trading down to the eight spot, with New York moving up to take Toppin at No. 5, according to Cleveland.com’s Terry Pluto.
No deal was consummated as it became clear the Cavs would take Okoro. The Knicks got their man with the eighth pick.
Here’s 3 ways Okoro will impact the Cavs once the 2020-2021 season gets rolling.
1. Defense first
Defense has only been a rumor at the ROMOFHO (Rocket Mortgage Field House) the past couple of seasons.
That should change with the selection of Isaac Okoro, a 6-6 225-pound wing who actually can defend.
That said, there will be fans and pundits critical of this pick. In a league dominated by 3-pointers, Okoro is just a 28 percent shooter from beyond the arc. He averaged 12.9 points per game and shot .514 from the field and .672 from the free throw line.
But make no mistake about, the Cavs didn’t go for scoring as they did in the previous two drafts, with Collin Sexton and Darius Garland.
2. Osman to the bench?
Prior to the selection of Isaac Okoro, the Cavaliers would’ve started Cedi Osman at the small forward spot.
Osman’s a fine player, but he’d be coming off the bench for most teams. Plus, he has nowhere near the athleticism of Okoro. Plus, Cedi didn’t exactly shore things up defensively, and that’s expected to change with Okoro in the fold, as he’s expected to guard each team’s best defender.
Osman averaged 11.0 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in his third season.
An interesting trade proposal made by Brian Windhorst prior to the draft had Osman going to the Thunder in made-up scenario in which the Cavs trigged to land Chris Paul. Windhorst noted that the Thunder really like Osman.
While Okoro isn’t a stud shooter from long range, he can score around the rim, as he was a 51 percent shooter. If he can replace Cedi’s scoring, the defensive upgrade will be huge.
3. Porter probably a two
The Cavs really like Michael Porter Jr., and the national pundits agree. He may have been Cleveland’s best pick from the 2019-2020 drafts in the long term.
Porter’s name was thrown around the No. 3 spot, but he’s probably better off at No. 2. This pick puts Okoro at the three, Porter at the two and a combination of Collin Sexton and Darius Garland at the point guard spot.
Plus, Sexton could take minutes at the two. It’s long been said that this would be a better role for him. He can score, but can’t dish.
Porter’s name has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons lately. We’ll see how all that shakes out.
But as far as his rookie campaign went, Porter averaged 10 points in 23 minutes per game and there’s definitely a clamoring to see more.