Isaac Okoro becomes first Cavs player to wear Junkyard Dog chain

Isaac Okoro is the first Cleveland Cavaliers player to be the JYD.

Isaac Okoro is a Junkyard Dog. That’s not an insult, in fact, it’s a new thing the Cleveland Cavaliers are doing to highlight those players whose contributions don’t pop up in a stat sheet. Okoro is a curious player, as the Cavaliers clearly took him too high in the 2020 NBA Draft, but his play complements the team so well, that he’s nearly indispensable to the squad.

He’s the Bruce Bowens of the Cavs, but without all the dirty play. He’s easily their best perimeter protector, and he can hit the occasional shot. He’ll never be a number one, but he’s good enough offensively to not be run off the floor like a Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

Its’ because of him and guys like Lamar Stevens that this “award’ (designation?) was created. It’s called the Junkyard Dog award. It’s the Cavaliers C-logo, attached to a medium-chain. It’s not as impressive as Sylvester Ritter‘s chain but no one can top the original JYD.

When talking to Cleveland.com, JB Bickerstaff explained the significance of the symbol.

"It’s a symbol of what we value. It’s something that was created by our guys, so we tried to come up with something that would celebrate that and add to our culture. We wanted to celebrate their mentality."

Considering guys like Okoro, Stevens and even at times Rajon Rondo, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley aren’t showing up big in box scores despite their play, this is a great idea.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have embraced their pack mentality

The Cleveland Cavaliers are taking a note or two from the Cleveland Browns it seems. The idea of rewarding the grittiest player on the court each game is a great idea that hammers home the idea of “team”. Designing it after a dog, a staple in the Cleveland area (Dawg Pound), is just peak synergy for the area.

In a league that is so based on “superstars” and doing what’s best for their brand and not the team, the Cavs have done everything possible to create an idea that the team can embrace. This is a brilliant move by Bickerstaff and those in charge of the Cavaliers.

The team has an identity to be gritty and tough, and the Junkyard Dog Award is going to really go a long way in giving these players an identity.