Isaac 3 & D Okoro - A Two Way Playing Basketball Savant

[CleveRocks]

Neither Sexton or Garland had the plus number we are seeing from Okoro at this point.. that's because he is about energy, defense and smart basketball..

The high minutes are possible because he is durable and physically ready for the nba, which Garland was not, and neither was Windler.. Like Sexton, that gives him the impression of who he is competing with in the league, and shows him the bar he needs to achieve.. His work ethic and character will drive him to improve, and the current Cavs culture will have him checking off the weakness boxes, just as we are seeing from Sexland..

As for the length discussion. He is brutally strong at a very young age.. when other players run into him, they bounce off. I saw the same thing when Larry Johnson was a rookie. He was not as tall as advertised, but he was a brick wall that had skills.. Okoro can play the 3..

 

[Cavatt]

Neither Sexton or Garland had the plus number we are seeing from Okoro at this point.. that's because he is about energy, defense and smart basketball..

The high minutes are possible because he is durable and physically ready for the nba, which Garland was not, and neither was Windler.. Like Sexton, that gives him the impression of who he is competing with in the league, and shows him the bar he needs to achieve.. His work ethic and character will drive him to improve, and the current Cavs culture will have him checking off the weakness boxes, just as we are seeing from Sexland..

As for the length discussion. He is brutally strong at a very young age.. when other players run into him, they bounce off. I saw the same thing when Larry Johnson was a rookie. He was not as tall as advertised, but he was a brick wall that had skills.. Okoro can play the 3..

Yeah Okoro is arguably the most NBA ready rookie since Kyrie, and you might be able to say he actually makes fewer mistakes and thinks the game better than Kyrie. As polished offensively as Kyrie was, we often forget he dribbled into the corner A LOT that first year.

It is somewhat obvious this is true because the fan base has not been roasting him 24/7 for his lack of offensive production. Usually, fans are so clueless about defense they want to kill a guy like this, but it seems like everyone has pretty fairly pegged him and can see his defensive impact at this young age. The chasedown to win the Grizz game doesn't hurt either.

I am pretty proud of the fans for not being knee jerk about his performance. It's a big deal he is killing Windler in minutes who is 5 years older with lots more experience and a much more developed offensive game.

We are witnessing something rare here, if he can find more ways to contribute offensively by the end of the year, I will be super happy with him.

 

[ansatsusha80]

Isaac Okoro was my best bet to win Rookie of the Year when the season began. Unfortunately, he missed some time with an injury and also simply won't put up impressive enough offensive statistics to take home the award. That being said, Okoro is still going to be a good wing in the NBA. He's comfortable finishing around the basket in crowds with either hand, he's strong and athletic enough to defend small forwards, and he's tenacious. That combination from a player his age doesn't often fail. Once Okoro improves his outside shooting, he could be a problem in this league.

The 15 rookies who have caught my eye so far this NBA season

After getting compared to the woeful 2000 and 2013 NBA Draft Classes leading up to draft night, the 2020 Draft Class has actually been one of the better classes in recent memory.

www.yardbarker.com

 

[Smooth]

The most frustrating part of Okoro's game right now is his finishing.. I'm not sure if he's been hanging around Drummond too much, but he's been way too finesse with his finishes -- that's not his game... He needs to accept, and invite contact, go up stronger when he finishes...

That didn't seem to be an issue while in college so I'm not sure if he's just too worried with the length in the NBA thus far, and thinking too much...

 

[adam81king]

The most frustrating part of Okoro's game right now is his finishing.. I'm not sure if he's been hanging around Drummond too much, but he's been way too finesse with his finishes -- that's not his game... He needs to accept, and invite contact, go up stronger when he finishes...

That didn't seem to be an issue while in college so I'm not sure if he's just too worried with the length in the NBA thus far, and thinking too much...

I thought I was the only one worried about his offense. Its one thing to not be aggressive, or be raw, but this kid is smoking layups and throwing up medicine balls...

 

[The Oi]

Incompetent.

 

[The Oi]

Pretty solid year tbh.

 

[Nphan]

I'm starting to get worried about him. I thought he would be a much better finisher.

 

[roozy]

I'm starting to get worried about him. I thought he would be a much better finisher.

I'm getting bust vibes.

 

[Alec]

Can someone teach him how to dribble? You’d think playing ball your entire life would ingrain that skill by osmosis.

 

[cabs]

He does need to start contributing more on offense

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

He has been disappointing on both ends for me so far. Nothing else to say really.

Actually there is,

Defensively, currently, he is too small defending 3's. Players shoot right over him. He is super strong and has wicked core, so he doesn't give much ground AT ALL on post ups which is great(Ibaka and Kawhi couldn't move him), but once a longer player finesses his way inside like Paul George, it is really hard for him to stop him inside. So he gives up size on the perimeter as well as in the paint once a player manages to gain enough ground on him. A post up is a different story, and he is great at it.

Another area that I was concerned about is his ability to defend the PnR. He gets stuck on screens when going over and he is not the quickest at recovering and is not long enough to offset that and that puts the big man at a pretty big disadvantage.

Okoro's biggest strength is his isolation defense, but even that is not on full display because he is guarding guys much longer than him, and isolation is such a small part of the offense nowadays that it becomes a much smaller factor compared to PnR defense. Okoro is playing out of position and is sharing the floor with two undersized guards. When the Cavs play a big team like the Clippers it throws everything out of whack.

Offensively, there is not much to say. We have not seen anything from him in that regards. His best attribute is his IQ and his unselfishness. He moves the ball well and can find the open man more often than not. Makes the correct pass a lot of the time.

He has nothing to hang his hat on offensively right now. He doesn't finish well inside, and he has no in between game. Looks like he lacks touch on his floaters and they also look sped up. To me, it seems like his potential lies in his ability to attack using a screen. It's obviously not there yet, but he plays with the correct pace, and with his strength and ability to recognize and find the open man should eventually, hopefully lead to more offensive opportunities for himself and the team. But for that he is going to need to show that he can finish inside or use a floater, or a mid range..something.

Obviously, his dribbling ability look unadvanced for a 3, let alone a 2. But that's not what's worrying me. What's worrying to me and what I believe limits him the most again, is his length. Simple as that. That coupled with his lack of offensive arsenal is obviously very limiting.

Not worried yet, but I do know for certain that the Cavs should have taken Avdija. And it pains me to say it. He just fits better and is a better player on both ends of the floor right now.

Let's just hope Okoro's intangibles will allow him to expand his game beyond what we are able to see right now.

 

[Futuredome]

What were the Cavs thinking when they took this guy??? Basically a guard size with forward skills(and why did I want him last November......stupid me?)

 

[avs2000]

He has been disappointing on both ends for me so far. Nothing else to say really.

Actually there is,

Defensively, currently, he is too small defending 3's. Players shoot right over him. He is super strong and has wicked core, so he doesn't give much ground AT ALL on post ups which is great(Ibaka and Kawhi couldn't move him), but once a longer player finesses his way inside like Paul George, it is really hard for him to stop him inside. So he gives up size on the perimeter as well as in the paint once a player manages to gain enough ground on him. A post up is a different story, and he is great at it.

Another area that I was concerned about is his ability to defend the PnR. He gets stuck on screens when going over and he is not the quickest at recovering and is not long enough to offset that and that puts the big man at a pretty big disadvantage.

Okoro's biggest strength is his isolation defense, but even that is not on full display because he is guarding guys much longer than him, and isolation is such a small part of the offense nowadays that it becomes a much smaller factor compared to PnR defense. Okoro is playing out of position and is sharing the floor with two undersized guards. When the Cavs play a big team like the Clippers it throws everything out of whack.

Offensively, there is not much to say. We have not seen anything from him in that regards. His best attribute is his IQ and his unselfishness. He moves the ball well and can find the open man more often than not. Makes the correct pass a lot of the time.

He has nothing to hang his hat on offensively right now. He doesn't finish well inside, and he has no in between game. Looks like he lacks touch on his floaters and they also look sped up. To me, it seems like his potential lies in his ability to attack using a screen. It's obviously not there yet, but he plays with the correct pace, and with his strength and ability to recognize and find the open man should eventually, hopefully lead to more offensive opportunities for himself and the team. But for that he is going to need to show that he can finish inside or use a floater, or a mid range..something.

Obviously, his dribbling ability look unadvanced for a 3, let alone a 2. But that's not what's worrying me. What's worrying to me and what I believe limits him the most again, is his length. Simple as that. That coupled with his lack of offensive arsenal is obviously very limiting.

Not worried yet, but I do know for certain that the Cavs should have taken Avdija. And it pains me to say it. He just fits better and is a better player on both ends of the floor right now.

Let's just hope Okoro's intangibles will allow him to expand his game beyond what we are able to see right now.

Plus at 19 he is past his prime. Just let the kid develop for a year or two. He does a lot well. And has things to work on

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

Plus at 19 he is past his prime. Just let the kid develop for a year or two. He does a lot well. And has things to work on

Did I say anything wrong, or??????????

Did I say that he won't develop?

Right now, he doesn't do a lot well. He is a specialist that has a chance to extend his game, or show more. For the time being, he hasn't been able to show case it. As a starter, and as the 5th pick in the draft he needs to show more. Simple as that.