Why J.B. Bickerstaff Is Looking Forward To Isaac Okoro Contributing More Offensively For Cavs
At just 22 years old going into his fourth season of his NBA career, Isaac Okoro is set to play a significant role for the Cleveland Cavaliers, likely off the bench.
But while he’s earned a reputation as a gritty defender who brings toughness to the court, there is more to Okoro’s game than his ability to guard. He's also an athletically-gifted slasher and a quick decision-maker on the fly.
Jan 2, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) drives to the basket against Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (11) during the first half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
With the team bringing in help on the perimeter through the additions of Max Strus, Georges Niang and Ty Jerome this past offseason, Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff foresees Okoro making a significant impact on the offensive end of the floor.
“You're just clearing the paint for him to do his thing and be successful,” Bickerstaff said after Friday’s practice. “I think one of the underappreciated or undervalued things that Isaac does is he beats closeouts and makes the next right pass really well, so even when he gets to the paint, now you have Max or Georges or whoever on the back side. He does a really good job of finding those guys.”
“It'll open the basket for me to drive, play-make, cut to the basket and get a lot of finishes,” Okoro added when asked about Cleveland’s newest spacers.
The revolving theme around training camp has been the Cavs speeding things up and putting points on the board. Okoro can be a blur coming out of the corner, which bodes well for the options he’ll have off the dribble.
“The offense has been great in these few days of camp,” Okoro said. “The ball's moving. People are shooting it great and people are getting to the basket. It's hard to play defense when the ball's moving that fast. The offense is looking good.”
“People are gonna tend to shift themselves toward those shooters and give him angles, so when the ball is moved to him he can attack the paint either for the finish or make the next play also,” Bickerstaff said.
It’ll be interesting to see how Okoro adapts to having more room to work with.
