Isaac Okoro belongs as a roller

Cavs news and links for Friday, October 11.

The first sip

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been dealing with a dilemma that has haunted many modern NBA teams. They have a fantastic defensive prospect in Isaac Okoro — but his offensive limitations have made it difficult to keep him on the floor.

Okoro’s left no doubt in our minds that he’s a stellar defender. He’s checked opposing guards and scaled up to contain wings, like in the NBA Playoffs against Paolo Banchero. Yet, as badly as you want Okoro out there for his defense, he hasn’t consistently provided enough to justify having him out there.

He’s put in the work to improve as a three-point shooter. Going from a 29% shooter in his rookie season to 39.1% in his most recent is no joke, But Okoro’s best attempt at being a floor spacer hasn’t fooled opponents. He still gets ignored when he’s away from the play.

So, how do you fix this? Well, Kenny Atkinson has decided that including Okoro in more plays might be worth a shot.

On Thursday night, Okoro was featured in numerous pick-and-roll plays. Notably not as the ball-handler but as the screener. The Cavs ran this action three times and scored on all three attempts.

The concept is simple. Okoro’s defender can’t cheat off him if he’s setting a ball screen. It’s the same idea you’d use for any non-shooting big who makes a living on pick-and-rolls. Getting Okoro in the action and using his athleticism in a downhill attack to the basket is more ideal than asking him to stand in the corner.

I wouldn’t expect the Cavs to spam Okoro PNRs anytime soon. But other comparable players have found success in this role. Bruce Brown comes to mind as a recent example. Okoro’s development should not rely entirely on being a volume shooter. Maximizing his talent for attacking the rim as a roller could be another piece of the puzzle.

WNBA schedule this weekend

• WNBA Finals Game 2: Minnesota Lynx vs. New York Liberty - Sunday 3 PM, ABC

NBA preseason schedule this weekend

• Sixers vs. Timberwolves - Friday, 7 PM
• Jazz vs. Spurs - Saturday, 8 PM
• Timberwolves vs. Knicks - Sunday, 6 PM, ESPN
• Suns vs. Nuggets - Sunday, 8:30 PM, ESPN

Links of the day

• Dean Wade “doesn’t know how good a shooter he is”
• Warriors almost broke single-game three-point record in preseason
• Is Zaccharie Risacher good?
• Danny Green was the perfect role player