The blueprint for Okoro’s playoff success is there.
Picture this. Isaac Okoro is standing in the corner, waiting for one of his teammates to pass him the ball. After a few minutes — he finally gets an opportunity to shoot. Clank. He misses his first attempt. And if he misses again, he’ll probably be yanked off the floor for the rest of the game.
That was Okoro’s offensive role with the Cleveland Cavaliers in previous seasons. Hide in the corner (in other words, get out of the way) and hit your shots. If worst comes to worst and we have to pass you the ball — then you better knock it down.
This reduced Okoro’s game to a nauseating degree. His value on defense was overshadowed by the need to be a full-fledged 3-and-D wing. Okoro had to hit a few three-pointers to justify his existence on the court. Because if he wasn’t shooting from the corner, he wasn’t doing anything else on offense.
Kenny Atkinson has expanded Okoro’s role this season. As he has with every member of the team. There is no hiding in the corner or standing around for minutes at a time. Okoro is expected to be a functional member of the offense. That means dribbling the ball, setting screens and frequently cutting to the hoop.
This new philosophy hasn’t led to an offensive explosion from Okoro. He’s still a limited shot-maker who doesn’t excel at any particular thing on offense. However, extending Okoro’s leash and getting him out of the corner has given him something to work with. A blueprint has been laid out. All Okoro has to do is follow it.
On Wednesday night against the New York Knicks, Okoro did just that.
No more hiding in the corner
Look, there’s always going to be value to spacing the floor in the corner. Placing a catch-and-shoot threat in this spot is a proven way to create space for everyone else. With that said, the corner is also a great place for Okoro to duck behind the defense on his way to the hoop.
Here we see an example of this. Okoro could have stayed put in the opposite corner while Evan Mobley curled off the screen from Sam Merrill. But, with Landry Shamet ignoring the corner and clogging the paint — Okoro makes the correct read to sneak through the backdoor for an easy bucket.
Reading the defense is something you expect from an NBA player. Yet breaking out of the corner has been a delicate balance for Okoro. He rarely moved from his spot in the years prior as the Cavs’ offense centered on high pick-and-roll. This season, though, Atkinson has stressed motion offense, which includes Okoro moving on a string with his teammates.
Take the play below. There’s a lot of motion going on here. It begins with Okoro setting the screen for Mitchell, then rolling to the corner. Sam Merrill then ghosts a screen for Mitchell, before veering off to screen for Mobley. Once Mobley catches the ball and attacks — Okoro’s defender (Shamet) is forced to contain the drive. Okoro wisely recognizes the open spot and keeps moving to get a dunk.
Again, Okoro could have stayed in the corner on this play. It would have been fine enough. But breaking out of the 3-and-D mold to become a living, breathing basketball player who adjusts to things on the fly is a better path for Okoro.
Okoro shot 1-6 from deep in this game. That would be a disaster in the past. But in this case, Okoro was an overwhelming positive. He went 4-4 from inside the paint because of timely cuts like the ones above.
Active hands reap rewards
Okay, cutting to the basket isn’t anything to gloat about. It’s something Okoro has done before and should continue to do. But while this next topic isn’t groundbreaking either — be sure to keep the full picture in mind.
Okoro snagged six rebounds against New York, two of which were offensive. He also generated two steals by darting into passing lanes. If you can get this level of disruption on the defensive end while trusting Okoro to contribute on offense, even when his three-point shot isn’t falling, then you have a player who can impact a playoff series.
Below, Okoro uses his strength to push Mikal Bridges outside of the paint. He collects the rebound and then accelerates down the floor to get Karl-Anthony Towns in a one-on-one situation. Add two points for Cleveland.
This is what you want to see from Okoro. He’s a supreme athlete who was wasting his greatest strengths in a 3-and-D role. He should get his hands dirty on the glass instead and use these rebounds as an opportunity to let loose in transition.
Here, Okoro jumps the passing lane to get a steal and more transition points. For as good of a defender as he is — Okoro rarely generates plays like this. He needs to be more aggressive in his minutes. Okoro works hard to suppress opponents but disrupting plays will make him a more impactful defender.
Finally, Okoro’s activity around the basket leads to this. He’s able to tap the rebound away from Shamet and straight to Max Strus for a putback layup. This is the dirty work that Okoro needs to be doing on a nightly basis.
None of this makes Okoro an All-Star caliber player. That path has been closed off for quite some time. But grabbing rebounds, creating turnovers and scoring in more ways than standing in the corner can take Okoro from a fringe rotation player to a certified playoff X-factor.
It will be easier for Okoro to be on the floor when his three-point shot isn’t dropping if he’s taking care of all the other things. He needs to play more like Josh Hart or Bruce Brown than the traditional 3-and-D role player, in other words. There’s more work to do, but the foundation is clearly being laid.