Cavs' Isaac Okoro: 'I Feel Like Every Team Needs Somebody Like Me'
It isn't the easiest job, and it certainly isn't the most desirable job, but Isaac Okoro does the little things for the Cleveland Cavaliers night-in and night-out.
Whether it's locking down a difficult defensive assignment, having a nose for the ball or getting out in transition in a blur to finish a momentum-swinging play, Okoro has played a pivotal role off the bench for the wine-and-gold that the team has sorely needed.
"I think Isaac Okoro, in my mind, from people’s perspective on the outside looking in, is really underappreciated,' Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said on Monday. "There are so many things that impact winning that don’t go in stat sheets that Isaac does. The way he makes his teammates feel when he does those things, you can’t put that on a number.
"We know and value Isaac. People want to just write him off, but he impacts winning in a high way. We have a level of appreciation for Isaac.”
Okoro's critical stretch to wake Cleveland up on the road against the Detroit Pistons is the most recent example of what Bickerstaff is talking about. He even set a career-high in steals with five. Postgame, every teammate pointed at him and how he changed the momentum.
Asked how he feels about having that role of bringing the hustle, Okoro embraces it.
"It's important to me," Okoro said. "I feel like every guy on every team needs somebody like me. You need somebody that's gonna be an energy guy, somebody that does the little things, the dirty work. Not a lot of guys in the NBA wanna do that, so you at least need one person on each team to do that."
Quantifying Okoro's positive effect, the Cavs are allowing 108.1 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor, a figure in the 90th percentile among his peers, according Cleaning The Glass. Opponents also have an effective field goal percentage of 51.0 percent and a turnover percentage of 15.6 percent.
When he sits, Cleveland's defensive rating increases to 113.1.
Dec 2, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) battles for the ball with Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) during the second half at Little Caesars Arena.
David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
Looking at what happens on the offensive end, the Cavs are taking care of the basketball when he's on the floor with just 12 percent of their possessions resulting in a turnover. Take Okoro off the court, and Cleveland is turning it over 15.4 percent of the time.
Clearly, his presence and constant movement does a lot for this team. Maybe even as much as his impact as a defensive stalwart does.
