<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavaliers-news-isaac-okoro-knicks-jalen-brunsons-antics');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavaliers’ Isaac Okoro calls out Knicks’ Jalen Brunson’s ‘antics’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/cavaliers-knicks-jalen-brunson-isaac-okoro-2023-nba-playoffs.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavaliers’ Isaac Okoro calls out Knicks’ Jalen Brunson’s ‘antics’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-04-17T12:38:54-07:00">April 17th, 12:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-04-17T12:38:54-07:00">April 17th, 12:38pm</time><address><a>Jack Deignan</a>Jack Deignan is an artist of many mediums who grew up playing every sport under the sun, contributing to his extreme passion for all major US sports today. He split his youth between the cities of Chicago and Cleveland and now resides in Los Angeles, as he recently received his undergraduate degree in English and Film &amp; Tv from UCLA. When not following and writing about sports, Jack loves to make music, design, write stories and try new things.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-odds-knicks-vs-cavaliers-playoff-series-top-prop-picks" rel="noopener">Cleveland Cavaliers</a> were upset by the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/knicks-news-new-york-fans-real-bold-upsetting-cavs-game-1" rel="noopener">New York Knicks</a> in Game 1 of their 2023 NBA Playoffs first round series by a score of 101-97. Cavaliers guard <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cleveland-cavaliers-makes-no-brainer-decisions-on-evan-mobley-isaac-okoro" rel="noopener">Isaac Okoro</a> says that in Game 2, the Cavaliers will be ready for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/knicks-news-jalen-brunson-perfect-reaction-to-josh-hart-rocking-shirt-with-his-face-on-it" rel="noopener">Jalen Brunson</a>‘s ‘antics’ <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPost_Brazille/status/1648028183541825536?s=20" rel="noopener">in terms of drawing fouls</a>, reports New York Post’s Zach Braziller.</p><p>Jalen Brunson had 27 points while only shooting 4-4 from the free-throw line, so a majority of his points did not come from the stripe. Meanwhile, Okoro only made one shot from the field and had the same amount of free-throw attempts, so it is an interesting critique coming from the Cavaliers guard. Nonetheless, taking a post-game jab at an opposing player is par for the course come NBA Playoffs basketball.</p><p>Game 1 between the Cavaliers and Knicks was close throughout, although the Knicks held an advantage for more than 41 minutes. New York was led by Jalen Brunson and the return of Julius Randle from an ankle injury; Brunson poured in his aforementioned 27, while Randle had 19 points and 10 rebounds, with his 10th board leading to game-sealing free-throws from Quentin Grimes.</p><p>The Knicks have to be thrilled to have Randle back on the court, who hadn’t played in a game since March 29th. He showed some signs of rust, but overall put together a very solid effort in helping the Knicks secure a Game 1 victory.</p><p>Looking ahead to Game 2, the Knicks and Cavaliers will play Tuesday night in Cleveland before heading to New York City. Going into the contest, Isaac Okoro should focus more on helping teammate Donovan Mitchell carry less of a load for the Cavaliers. If Mitchell mimics his 38 point Game 1 performance and the Cavaliers lose again, the Knicks will feel pretty good about their chances of advancing in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavaliers’ Isaac Okoro calls out Knicks’ Jalen Brunson’s ‘antics’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cleveland-cavaliers-makes-no-brainer-decisions-on-evan-mobley-isaac-okoro/');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavaliers makes no-brainer decisions on Evan Mobley, Isaac Okoro');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Cavs-news-Cleveland-makes-no-brainer-decisions-on-Evan-Mobley-Isaac-Okoro.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavaliers makes no-brainer decisions on Evan Mobley, Isaac Okoro</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-10-15T13:46:23-07:00">October 15th, 1:46pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-10-15T13:46:23-07:00">October 15th, 1:46pm</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>A multifaceted writer who can be read at Heavy, Fansided, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place, brother.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Evan Mobley with the third pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, it extensively changed the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cleveland-cavaliers-new-2023-nba-finals-odds-after-blockbuster-donovan-mitchell-trade/">trajectory of the franchise</a>.</p><p>Sure, the team already had Darius Garland, the fantastic young guard who was quietly transforming into a star just under the eyes of the national media, but adding a player like Mobley, the closest thing the NBA has seen to Chris Bosh since, well, Chris Bosh, elevated the team’s profile and ceiling considerably – transforming from a feel-good story to one a legitimate playoff favorite who wouldn’t just be competing for the play-in game but could end up in the fourth-sixth seed with ease. Factor in the presence of young role players like Isaac Okoro, who maybe aren’t stars but are solid enough, and Cleveland is in a pretty good spot moving forward.</p><p>So naturally, when the time came for GM Koby Altman to <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisFedor/status/1581367095186493440">pick up the contract options</a> on Mobley and Okoro, the decision was relatively easy: yes.</p><p>Now locked up until <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/yearly/cap/">2025 and 2024, respectively</a>, Mobley and Okoro are now locked into J.B. Bickerstaff’s rotation for the next few years, with the potential to earn even longer contact with the team moving forward if they continue to progress along their individual paths. For Mobley, that likely means a max contract, which would mark the third max contract player on the team alongside Garland and recently acquired shooting guard Donovan Mitchell – marking the first time the Cleveland Cavaliers had three such players since the Kyrie Irving-Lebron James-Kevin Love era – and as for Okoro? Well, if he can develop a little bit on offense, there’s little reason to believe he couldn’t be an eight-figure player.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavaliers makes no-brainer decisions on Evan Mobley, Isaac Okoro

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);   ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-cleveland-trade-plans-for-isaac-okoro-after-drafting-ochai-agbaji');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ trade plans for Isaac Okoro after drafting Ochai Agbaji');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Ochai-Agbaji-Isaac-Okoro-Cavs.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs’ trade plans for Isaac Okoro after drafting Ochai Agbaji</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-06-29T09:34:06-07:00">June 29th, 9:34am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-07-15T15:21:25-07:00">July 15th, 3:21pm</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Quinn Allen is a Senior Associate Editor for ClutchPoints and Cavs Nation.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers made a significant splash in the 2022 NBA Draft, adding yet another young player to their promising core as they took Kansas wing Ochai Agbaji 14th overall. That sparked some rumors that the Cavs could potentially trade Isaac Okoro to open up more minutes for Agbaji, but it appears that will not be the case.</p><p><a href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/nba-free-agency-and-trade-intel-sizing-up-where-jalen-brunson-rudy-gobert-and-others-will-land">Via Matt Moore of The Action Network:</a></p><blockquote>The Cavaliers are not looking to trade Isaac Okoro despite their need for offensive upgrades and the drafting of Ochai Agbaji.</blockquote><p>It’s no secret the Cavs could use some more offensive pieces to complement the likes of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Lauri Markkanen, and Jarrett Allen. An immediate need for Cleveland is three-point shooting and guard depth, especially behind Garland. <a href="https://cavsnation.com/2-players-cavs-must-sign-in-2022-nba-free-agency/">Tyus Jones and Ricky Rubio are two possible free-agent targets in that regard.</a></p><p>Despite not putting up monster numbers through his first two NBA seasons, Okoro has given the Cavs a scoring punch. He averaged 8.8 points and three rebounds in 2021-22, starting 61 of the 67 games he appeared in. There is always the chance that Agbaji competes with him for the SF starting spot next season, though. Also, there’s still hope that Okoro can come into his own and live up to the expectations that came along with being a No. 5 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ trade plans for Isaac Okoro after drafting Ochai Agbaji

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '');   ga('set', 'title', 'What does the road from here look like for the Cavs’ Isaac Okoro?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><source type="image/webp"></source><img src="https://cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Day131.00.42.jpg"></figure><h1>What does the road from here look like for the Cavs’ Isaac Okoro?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-03-11T16:24:53-08:00">March 11th, 4:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-03-11T16:36:54-08:00">March 11th, 4:36pm</time><address><a>Brayden Todd</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In the span of just a few years, the Cleveland Cavaliers have put together one of the very best young cores in the NBA. Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen have separated themselves from the pack this year. Garland and Allen, the most lethal pick-and-roll duo in the NBA, <a href="https://cavsnation.com/cavs-how-darius-garland-took-the-all-star-leap-for-cleveland/">were both</a> <a href="https://cavsnation.com/cavs-how-jarrett-allen-took-the-all-star-leap/">named All-Stars</a>. Evan Mobley has taken the league by storm, looking like a <a href="https://cavsnation.com/cavs-breakdown-evan-mobley-historically-good-rookie-season/">long-time veteran right out of the gates</a>. He’s the favorite to win Rookie of the Year.</p><p>The Cavs’ depth of young players extends beyond that trio, though. Collin Sexton was the most statistically productive up until he suffered his season-ending injury through 11 games. Lauri Markkannen has slid into an unconventional, but effective role as the team’s starting small forward. Dean Wade, Lamar Stevens, and Dylan Windler have the shown the ability to be role-players when needed. That group by itself is a very strong core. However, there’s one more wildcard that hasn’t yet been mentioned, which is Isaac Okoro.</p><p>Okoro was drafted to Cleveland following the infamous NBA bubble, and experienced the shortest offseason in league history. He was thrown into the fire from day one, having to guard the opponent’s best player night in and night out. His teammates didn’t offer much help, as he started alongside four sub-par defenders in Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, Kevin Love, and Tristan Thompson.</p><p>He wasn’t afforded many touches, but as the season winded down and injuries begun to pile up, he received much more opportunities with the ball in his hands. The rookie displayed some genuine flashes, including a breakout 32-point outing against the soon-to-be-NBA-Finals-bound Phoenix Suns. Selected fifth overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, his development would seem to be of high priority for the Cavs. That hasn’t been the case. Despite being the second youngest and second highest draft selection out of the young’uns in Cleveland, he’s sorta been tossed to the side.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>Why is that?</p><h2>Okoro hasn’t had the opportunity to expand his game in Cleveland</h2><p>Isaac Okoro was one of the few bright spots towards the end of last year for a Cavs team that stumbled to the finish line. Fast forward to this season, and… not much has changed from the Okoro we saw for most of last season. The defense, his main calling card coming out of college, has improved. His efficiency has seen a slight uptick from inside and outside the perimeter. Most other aspects of his game have remained, for the most part, stagnant.</p><p>As soon as Evan Mobley came to town, his development leapfrogged Okoro’s on the team hierarchy. And with the team winning games or at the very least, competing every night, developing younger players in general has become less of a priority. JB Bickerstaff hasn’t been able to afford Isaac the touches he needs to improve his offensive game, knowing that they will likely yield negative results in the present. Although the Cavs have had a successful season, they don’t have much margin for error.</p><p>The former Auburn Tiger kicked off preseason games as a starter for Cleveland, alongside Garland, Sexton, Mobley and Allen. That frontcourt trio had some very rough offensive limitations from a floor spacing perspective. Opposing defenses didn’t respect any of the three guys from outside the perimeter, and playing them alongside two guards who love to attack the paint, it resulted in some extreme congestion inside.</p><p>At the beginning of the regular season, Okoro got substituted at the three for Lauri Markkanen, in favor of a shooting threat and a more unique defensive scheme. He rode the bench for a little, until joining the starters again once Sexton exited the rotation. Still, after filling in for him, he’s been afforded minimal time on the ball, often camping in the corner.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The DG-JA duo hasn’t been as effective recently as it has been all season.</p><p>Teams are crowding the paint and daring the Cavs to shoot. Specifically Okoro.</p><p>These are all of his halfcourt shots from last night. Watch where Okoro’s man is. They’re completely ignoring him. <a href="https://t.co/y1ONS3EwbS" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/y1ONS3EwbS</a></p><p>— Brayden Todd (@BraydenBallin) <a href="https://twitter.com/BraydenBallin/status/1488137500560265220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 31, 2022</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>That’s not an ideal role for the team and not an ideal role for him. At least until he gets his jump shot figured out. Teams don’t guard him. And he struggles to attack the space in front of him off-the-catch, because the paint is often crowded. The environment that the Cavs have placed their sophomore swingman in is rather unfortunate for him at the moment. So where do they go from here?</p><h2>What should the Cavs’ roadmap look like for Isaac Okoro?</h2><p>The reason Isaac Okoro gets floor time is because of his defense, but there are two sides of the floor. He is developing into one of the better perimeter defenders in the NBA. For him to make a legitimate impact in the future, though, he’ll need to be more than a zero offensively. Given his athletic skills and ability to make quick decisions, that’s not out of the question.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Okoro had one of his best defensive games of his career last night imo. Gave LaVine all kinds of trouble all night long. Ofc, having a backline of Frobley helps, but he was remaining attached through screens, keeping his body in front, constantly hustling, &amp; crashing the boards <a href="https://t.co/aOajb0pkjt" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/aOajb0pkjt</a></p><p>— Brayden Todd (@BraydenBallin) <a href="https://twitter.com/BraydenBallin/status/1468933076906434560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">December 9, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>It may be a tad optimistic, but a semi-realistic reference point for the Cavs to follow with Okoro’s development, is the New York Knicks’ RJ Barrett. Both players have similar sizes/builds, and are explosive off-the-catch. They each came into the league with under-developed handles and jumpshots. Because of that and them both being relatively rigid, they’re primarily straight-line/strength-based drivers with the ball in their hands. However, they do a good job of finding the open guy from time-to-time.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Isaac Okoro had 5 assists last night. Made some nice interior reads, getting the ball to the bigs. <a href="https://t.co/hQSY7kyNnB" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/hQSY7kyNnB</a></p><p>— Brayden Todd (@BraydenBallin) <a href="https://twitter.com/BraydenBallin/status/1477285200673611776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 1, 2022</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Barrett has enjoyed a recent string of strong offensive performances. Okoro’s far from that level, so how does JB Bickerstaff and Company get him there? The jump shot will have to improve, but most of that is out of the team’s control. It’ll just take a lot of offseason time commitment. The main thing the Cavs need to do to put their former lottery pick in a position to succeed, is work on the handle.</p><p>The best way to go about doing that is giving him more on-ball reps. It doesn’t have to be much, but it has to be more than what it’s at now. That likely means he should play in more of the minutes without DG on the floor, considering the Cavs are lacking in ball-handlers outside of him. There’s more to it, though.</p><p>Before any kid learns to ride the bike, they start out with training wheels. For Okoro to become a more consistent threat with the ball in his hands, he should see more chances handling the ball in spaced out lineups before getting those reps next to lineups featuring groupings such as Frobley. Okoro and Love’s minutes, ideally, should be tied at the hip.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Spacing the floor out for and letting Okoro get some touches is a very good thing <a href="https://t.co/Okqxn8CUpO" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/Okqxn8CUpO</a></p><p>— Brayden Todd (@BraydenBallin) <a href="https://twitter.com/BraydenBallin/status/1500151893561073667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">March 5, 2022</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Getting him a few good offensive opportunities a game, and giving him the confidence to be aggressive during those minutes, is key to him becoming a better offensive threat. He’s a hyper-explosive bulldozer at 6’5″, 225 lbs. If you can pair a little bit of skill with those physical tools, then you have a guy who can give you valuable stuff on both sides of the floor.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I wanna see a more aggresive Isaac Okoro next season. Often he’s guarded by the other team’s weakest perimeter defender. But he’s not a Danny Green or Crowder. He can exploit mismatches. Okoro’s stronger and/or faster than the vast majority of NBA players. <a href="https://t.co/OvvsyylsD1" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/OvvsyylsD1</a></p><p>— Brayden Todd (@BraydenBallin) <a href="https://twitter.com/BraydenBallin/status/1430275242124091395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">August 24, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2>Can he reach his ceiling in Cleveland?</h2><p>Soon after Isaac Okoro was drafted, the Cavs rapidly acquired 4 likely long-term pieces alongside their star-studded backcourt (Darius Garland, Collin Sexton + Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Lauri Markkanen, Caris LeVert). With him now being probably the seventh most important player in the team’s future, is it possible for Isaac to see his best-case outcome unfold in the wine &amp; gold?</p><p>It can happen. It would almost certainly happen with him coming off-the-bench. If the coaching staff doesn’t put much effort into caterings towards his development, then it’s hard to see it unfolding in his favor. The Cavs pretty much have their team locked in for the future, barring a LeBron James re-appearance, but if Koby Altman were to seek out one more high-profile trade, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Okoro be the one biting the bullet as the sweetener.</p><p>Regardless, it’s hard to call the Cavaliers drafting of Isaac Okoro at #5 in 2020 a miss. He still has untapped upside that the team’s sooner-than-expected success got in the way of. There weren’t many better options in that range, outside of perhaps Tyrese Haliburton (who requested that Cleveland not take him) and Devin Vassell.</p><p>Right now it’s up to JB Bickerstaff and his young hard-nosed defender to walk that delicate line of advancing his offensive game, meanwhile keeping the Cavs on track to pick up wins as the playoffs approach.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

What does the road from here look like for the Cavs’ Isaac Okoro?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs youngsters Evan Mobley, Isaac Okoro get called up for All-Star Weekend');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><source type="image/webp"></source><img src="https://cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/cavs-evan-mobley-isaac-okoro.jpeg"></figure><h1>Cavs youngsters Evan Mobley, Isaac Okoro get called up for All-Star Weekend</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-02-01T18:56:22-08:00">February 1st, 6:56pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-02-01T18:57:23-08:00">February 1st, 6:57pm</time><address><a>Arlos Sara</a>Arlos Sara graduated with a degree Psychology. He is an NBA writer and editor for ClutchPoints and Cavs Nation. Back in the day, while other kids were consumed by their toys and comic books, young Arlos was already thumbing through the pages of sports magazines.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the Cleveland Cavaliers keep racking up wins this season, the wine and gold players also get their due. Evan Mobley and Isaac Okoro have been tagged to represent the Cavs at the All-Star Weekend as part of the Rising Stars Game player pool, the league <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1488686200345047041/photo/1">announced</a> Tuesday.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Catch our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CloroxRisingStars?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#CloroxRisingStars</a> shining in <a href="https://twitter.com/RMFieldHouse?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@RMFieldHouse</a> on February 18! 🌟</p><p>🎟: <a href="https://t.co/ew5X8F4O7Q" target="_blank">https://t.co/ew5X8F4O7Q</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAAllStar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#NBAAllStar</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetEmKnow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#LetEmKnow</a> <a href="https://t.co/4aZmDFtr07" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/4aZmDFtr07</a></p><p>— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) <a href="https://twitter.com/cavs/status/1488678667911929876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 2, 2022</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>They are joined by a mix of sophomore and rookies from the NBA and four G League Ignite players. Honorary coaches will draft their respective players from the pool, so there’s still a chance for Cavs fans to see Mobley and Okoro on the same team at the event.</p><p>Evan Mobley has been a major driving force for the Cavs’ <a href="https://cavsnation.com/cavs-news-darius-garland-issues-bold-warning-to-nba-after-beating-giannis-antetokounmpo-bucks/">meteoric rise</a> this season. His versatility on both ends allows head coach JB Bickerstaff to deploy a three-big lineup that has shackled opponents with a unique look. He’s regarded as the linchpin of the Cavs’ vaunted defense, elevating his stock enough to be considered for an All-Defensive Team selection as a rookie.</p><p>On the other hand, Isaac Okoro has shaken off a rocky start to emerge as, arguably, the Cavs’ best on-ball defender. Last season was a baptism of fire for Okoro, being tasked to guard the opponent’s best perimeter scorers every night. In year two, the former Auburn standout continues to put the clamps on players who draw the unlucky hand of being guarded by Okoro.</p><p>The last Cavs player to participate in the event was Collin Sexton back in 2020. Outside of Mobley and Okoro, the Cavs are still holding on to their hopes of seeing Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland be named as All-Star reserves.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
5.9	2.2	1.3	0.3	0.6

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
5.9	2.2	1.3	0.3	0.6

Isaac Okoro

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What does the road from here look like for the Cavs’ Isaac Okoro?

Cavs youngsters Evan Mobley, Isaac Okoro get called up for All-Star Weekend

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