Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Draft: 3 reasons Isaac Okoro was the right pick

NBA Draft prospect Isaac Okoro (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
NBA Draft prospect Isaac Okoro (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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Isaac Okoro
NBA Draft prospect Isaac Okoro (John Reed-USA TODAY Sports)

Isaac Okoro doesn’t need the ball

Isaac Okoro being a defense-first player fits this Cavaliers team for a few reasons. As aforementioned, his defense will help a Cavaliers team that struggles defensively. More importantly, he doesn’t need the ball to impact the game – and the Cavaliers already have plenty of players that do.

The Cavaliers already have four rotation players that need offensive touches to impact the game. Sexton, of course, dominates the ball to score as much as he does. Next in line is Kevin Love, who likes getting post touches so that he can get into a rhythm and score inside and outside the paint. Darius Garland is another playmaker and even Kevin Porter Jr. excels in isolation and when initiating the offense.

This also means that unless Okoro is absolutely abysmal offensively, he will more than likely exceed his offensive expectations. More often than not, defensive prospects improve offensively over the course of their career with the help of NBA-level shooting coaches and experience. As long as Okoro can bump up his college 3-point percentage into the 30’s in his rookie season, he should be on course to stepping up as a capable floor spacer offensively.