Cleveland Cavaliers' defensive stopper Isaac Okoro becoming an offensive threat

Isaac Okoro didn’t come into his second season with a 3-point percentage goal in mind.

If he had, the Cavaliers guard might have aimed too low.

Working with shooting coach Andrew Olson, Okoro has made a dramatic improvement. Going into Thursday night’s crucial game at Toronto, Okoro is shooting .345 from long range, as compared to .290 during his rookie season. Overall, his field goal percentage has risen from .420 to .474.

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff said there was a point this season when the Cavs told the fifth-overall pick from Auburn in 2020 to concentrate on his corner 3s, and in Monday’s home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Okoro went 4-for-4 from that spot. His four 3s tied his career-high for a single game, which he’s reached three times.

“It pulls people out of the paint,” Bickerstaff said Wednesday. “Against a team like Toronto who loves to send bodies to the paint and come up with steals and deflections, force you into tough shots and turnovers, when you've got guys out there that can make them pay, they're a little hesitant to do it.

“So, he's got to continue to shoot them. He's got to continue to make them to help spread the floor for everybody else.”

The Cavs need more from Okoro than merely guarding the opponent's best player. All-Star point guard Darius Garland knew Okoro’s hard work with Olson would pay off.

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“We see Ice every morning before anything, he's working on 3s. We knew it was all going to come,” Garland said Monday. “He just had to have the confidence to shoot it, even when he's not making shots to still keep shooting it. And we trust him. Glad that they're falling.”

Also helping that confidence was the fact that Okoro was selected for the Rising Stars competition at last month's NBA All-Star Game.

In 11 games in March, Okoro has connected on .519 from the field and .440 from beyond the arc. It’s his second-best shooting month of the season. He made .545 and .457, respectively, in 12 December games before his percentage from deep slumped to .227 in January.

Okoro said much of the focus has been on “little details” and it’s shown in the past five games, when he’s made 9-of-15 (.600) 3-pointers.

“Me and shooting coach Drew, we always come before practice, after practice, we shoot a lot of 3s, especially from the corners,” Okoro said Wednesday. “Working on my arc, my form, flicking my wrist.

“It feels good. I always knew it was going to pay off sooner or later. Just continue to do the work and hopefully it keeps getting better and better.”

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That work ethic does not surprise Bickerstaff.

“Isaac is a helluva worker. If you put a task in front of him, I’m going to bet on him to get it done,” Bickerstaff said Monday. “He puts the time in every single day. He spends hours and hours in those corners and he’s going to continue to improve at it. I think he did a really good job when he was on the floor, I thought he was really effective. If he continues to make those corner 3s, it’s going to help him, but it’s going to help the team as well.”

Statistically, Okoro’s averages in his two years are nearly the same. He scored 9.6 points with 3.1 rebounds in 32.4 minutes of 67 games (all starts) last season. In 2021-22, Okoro has averaged 9.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 29.6 minutes of 57 games (51 starts).

Isaac Okoro, Lamar Stevens former a powerful Cavs partnership

With forward Dean Wade out indefinitely with a sore right knee, Bickerstaff has started Lamar Stevens with Okoro for the past five games and it has been a powerful partnership. Okoro stands 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds, Stevens is 6-8 and 225.

“We’re basically the same player on defense, we’re both physical, getting to the ball, we’re both hustle players. We love playing with each other,” Okoro said.

Bickerstaff said Stevens gives the Cavs the aggression they need.

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“When you know their personalities and you watch Lamar, Lamar eggs that type of stuff on and he pushes it in other people,” Bickerstaff said Monday. “It’s fun for him to play that style, and he loves it when other people play that as well.

“He’s kind of an older, bigger brother, so to speak, to the guys and he pushes them to do that. I think Isaac and him have similar traits that way, so you do see it coming more.”

Stevens isn’t sure why he and Okoro click, except perhaps that they belong to the same rookie class.

“I'm not sure. Maybe because everybody thinks we look alike,” Stevens said Monday. “We came in together, have gone through the same things throughout our career. So that mentality, just being aggressive getting downhill, defensive-minded, and now just trying to go that offensive arsenal. We’ve definitely taken confidence [from] each other, feed off each other.”

Cavs guard Rajon Rondo unlikely to play against Toronto Raptors

Backup point guard Rajon Rondo has missed the past five games with a sprained right great toe and Bickerstaff said he doesn’t expect him to return in Toronto.

“There’s always a chance, but not likely,” Bickerstaff said. Asked about Rondo's progress, Bickerstaff added, “Yeah, I mean he’s still taking steps. It’s still sore, so we just continue to slowly work him back.”

J.B. Bickerstaff feels good about the state of the Cavs

The Cavs (41-31) entered Wednesday’s action sixth in the East, one game ahead of the Raptors (40-32) and the Cavs also own the tiebreaker. On Saturday, the Cavs host the Chicago Bulls (42-30), who are fifth, one game ahead of the Cavs.

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The Cavs' goal is to make the top six and avoid the play-in tournament.

Asked how he feels about the state of the team, Bickerstaff said, “I feel good about us, to be honest with you. I still know what we're capable of. We are lucky enough to be in a position where our destiny lies in our hands and our control.

“We are currently in the playoffs and have an opportunity to play the team behind us and the team ahead of us. So, it's going to be up to us and I'm confident in our guys, who they are that they get the job done.”

Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Cavs at www.beaconjournal.com/cavs. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.