Tag: Isaac Okoro

Auburn in the NBA: Reviewing Isaac Okoro’s rookie season

Isaac Okoro had a successful rookie season, ending it on a hot streak in which he averaged 15.7 points per game.

The Cleveland Cavaliers were enamored with Isaac Okoro’s defensive potential ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft and grabbed him with the No. 5 pick.

While his defense gave him the chance to become an immediate starter for the Cavs, his offensive game was still incredibly raw but had plenty of room to grow.

With his rookie season in the books, Okoro did just that, starting all 67 games he played in and was often guarding the opposing team’s top offensive player.

Okoro led all rookies with 32.4 minutes per game and averaged 9.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists. Perhaps even more important, he ended the season on a hot streak, scoring in double figures in 12 of his final 13 points and scored a season-high 32 points against Phoenix. In those final 13 games he averaged 15.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

His workload and development impressed Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff

“I don’t know of any other rookie that accepted the challenges that he had to accept and come out on the other side unscathed,” Bickerstaff said. “Physically and emotionally, he had some daunting tasks and not one time did he balk at the opportunity. He kept going back, he kept showing up, and look at the improvement he’s made. You think about the things that he’s added to his game on the offensive end while not slowing down on that (defensive) end of the floor, so I think there’s no doubt in my mind that he should be on the All-Rookie team. Again, the challenges that he’s taken and the improvements that he’s made, I don’t know of any other rookies that have done that.”

Much like he did in his brief time at Auburn, Okoro also threw down some impressive dunks.

With his defensive prowess already established and his offensive game showing signs of improvement, Okoro could be well on his way to becoming a valuable two-way player the Cavaliers desperately need in their quest to return to the NBA playoffs, something they have not done without Lebron James since the 1997-1998 season.

“I feel like I had a big impact on this team,” Okoro said when asked about making the  All-Rookie team. “I feel like I’m a player that goes out there every single night and guards the other team’s best player and also comes on the offensive end and contributes at that end, so I feel like I’m good at both ends of the floor, I’m contributing and I’m doing anything to help this team win.”

Rookie Wire Power Rankings: Anthony Edwards reigns supreme in final countdown

Rookie Wire takes a look at the top first-year players over the last two weeks of the 2020-21 season.

With less than a week to go in the regular season, playoff races around the league are heating up as teams look to stamp their tickets into the postseason.

Of course, other teams are already looking ahead to next season and have turned things over to their rookies and other young players. One thing is certain, these rookies haven’t given up on the season as many are playing some of their best basketball.

To make sense of it all, we took a look at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the final edition of the Rookie Wire Power Rankings this season. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but, rather, to illustrate the best players week to week.

Isaac Okoro posts first double-double, but Cavs drop 11th straight

The Cavaliers rookie registered his first career double-double on Monday in a loss to the Pacers.

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On Monday, Isaac Okoro registered his first career double-double, but the effort was not enough as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Indiana Pacers, their 11th consecutive defeat.

Okoro produced 22 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in 42 minutes of work during the 111-102 loss. He finished the contest by shooting 8-of-20 from the field, including 3-of-8 from 3-point range.

The 22 points scored by Okoro were his second-most of the season.

Afterward, Okoro expressed his disappointment in the loss as the Cavaliers have struggled to finish off the season. However, Okoro liked the way that the Cavaliers continued to compete throughout the contest.

While the performance by Okoro came in a losing effort, he said following the game that he feels as though he is getting more comfortable each time he steps onto the court.

“I feel like every game, I’m starting to learn more,” Okoro said. “(I) find my spots, know what the defense is starting to do. As the games go on, I feel like I’m starting to progress.”

After an up-and-down rookie campaign, Okoro looks to be finishing off the year on a high note. Including Monday, he has scored in double figures in nine of his last 10 games for the Cavaliers and is averaging 15.4 points, four rebounds and 2.1 assists over that span.

Certainly, the Cavaliers’ season didn’t turn out the way the team had hoped but the play of Okoro, and others, has given the organization some hope for the future.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Rookie Wire Power Rankings: Flynn, Hampton impress in expanded roles

Rookie Wire takes a look at the top first-year players over the last two weeks of the 2020-21 season.

By this point of the year, teams around the NBA have a good idea if they are battling for playoff positioning or pingpong balls as the season begins to wind down.

With more clarity on their prospective paths, some organizations have started to prioritize the development of rookies and other younger players. As a result, several rookies have emerged with strong performances in their expanded roles.

To make sense of it all, we took a look at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the latest edition of the Rookie Wire Power Rankings. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but, rather, to illustrate the best players week to week.

Jimmy Butler offered high praise to Isaac Okoro after career night

The five-time All-Star was highly impressed with Okoro after playing the Cavaliers over the weekend.

On Saturday, Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Isaac Okoro recorded a career-high 17 points during a 115-101 loss to the Miami Heat and earned some high praise from Jimmy Butler afterward.

Okoro finished the contest by converting on 5-of-7 shots from the field, including 5-of-7 from the free-throw line, en route to his career performance, which topped his previous high of 15 points. The team wanted Okoro to be more aggressive and he did just that throughout the contest.

The performance by Okoro caught the eye of Butler, who the rookie was tasked with guarding throughout the evening. Butler even recalled a conversation with teammate Udonis Haslem regarding the play of Okoro after the game.

“I was talking to UD at the end of the game and we agreed the kid is going to be really good,” Butler said. “He plays within the game. He takes all of the right shots. He gets stops and rebounds. He is always passing the ball to the open guy. I really like his game.

“Obviously, he is matched up against me and he plays incredibly hard. He is going to be in this league for a long time and he is going to make a lot of money in this league, too. … His potential is out of this world. Hopefully, he is 10 times better than I am. If he keeps working, the sky is the limit.”

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Okoro, throughout the season, has flashed his potential with the Cavaliers. He has emerged as a strong option on both ends of the floor and figures to only get better the more he plays in the NBA. His numbers don’t necessarily jump off the page, but it’s evident how impactful he can be on a nightly basis.

Certainly, Butler thinks so and is a fan of his work.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Isaac Okoro receives high praise from five-time NBA All-Star

Cleveland Cavaliers forward and former Auburn star Isaac Okoro received some high praise from Miami’s Jimmy Butler.

In his first year in the NBA, Isaac Okoro is turning some heads in a great way.

The former Auburn star is averaging 8.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists through 44 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers and has been playing some spectacular defense.

Okoro’s play has brought some high praise from five-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat.

Butler knows how hard it is to become a great player in the league. A first round pick in 2011 out of Marquette by the Chicago Bulls, his career really took over in the 2014-15 season when he won the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award.

Against Butler’s Heat on Saturday, Okoro poured in 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting along with three rebounds, one block and one steal.

Rookie Wire Power Rankings: LaMelo Ball once again reigns supreme

Rookie Wire takes a look at the top first-year players over the last two weeks of the 2020-21 season.

With the NBA All-Star break nearly upon us, the first half of the season is in the books for most teams as the week off will provide an essential rest period for players.

Over the course of the first half of the season, several rookies have made strong contributions on a consistent basis and have emerged as some of the top players of the class. Others, seemingly have come on strong recently and are playing well in expanded roles.

To make sense of it all, we took a look at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the latest edition of the Rookie Wire Power Rankings. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but, rather, to illustrate the best players week to week.

Rookie of the Year Race: LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton lead the way

It wasn’t long ago when the consensus public opinion was that the 2020 NBA Draft lacked any real star power.

It wasn’t long ago when the consensus public opinion was that the 2020 NBA draft lacked any real star power.

Executives around the league were reportedly concerned about LaMelo Ball, specifically. Some had questions about whether or not he had a broken jump shot. Others were worried that he was tanking interviews during the pre-draft process.

Flash forward, however, and Ball is arguably enjoying one of the best first seasons in NBA history thus far and is the bonafide leader of our Rookie of the Year rankings. That just goes to show you how much the perception of a player can change in a short amount of time.

Like our weekly MVP rankings, every member of our team voted on their personal Top 10 rankings for Rookie of the Year. We averaged out the results to get a cumulative ranking from the HoopsHype staff.

All relevant statistics are accurate as of March 2, 2021 and are pulled from Basketball-Reference, RealGM or NBA.com unless noted otherwise.

4 Rookies we want to see in the 2021 NBA Slam Dunk Contest

These NBA rookies could steal the show in the NBA Dunk Contest.

With the recent announcement of the captains and starters for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game on Thursday, that only means one thing: the announcement for the 2021 NBA Slam Dunk Contest participants are looming.

The typical All-Star Saturday Night festivities will take place on Sunday, March 7th along with the All-Star Game. The Skills Competition and Three Point Competition will happen prior to the game and the Slam Dunk Contest will be at halftime, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Derrick Jones Jr., who represented the Heat in 2020 and is now with the Blazers, is the reigning Dunk Contest champion, after beating Aaron Gordon in the finals last year. It remains to be seen if either player returns to the Dunk Contest – but a few members of the 2020 rookie class have shown plenty of bounce and intrigue to put on a show come halftime on March 7th.

‘That was an epic play’: Cavs react to Isaac Okoro’s late-game heroics

In just his second game since returning from an extended absence, Okoro turned in the best two plays of his young career on Thursday.

In just his second game back since returning from an extended absence, Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Isaac Okoro on Thursday turned in the best two plays of his young career to help seal a 94-90 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

First, with the Cavaliers up by one point and under 40 seconds left in regulation, Okoro got it done on defense.

Grizzlies guard Tyus Jones appeared to have a clear path to a potential go-ahead layup. However, as Jones was approaching the rim, Okoro flew in from behind him, raised up and swatted the attempt merely inches before the ball was set to touch the backboard.

Okoro was initially charged with a foul on Jones with 33.5 seconds left, but after pleading with head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, the Cavaliers challenged the call. The ruling on the floor was eventually reversed with the block being ruled clean and no foul charged to Okoro.

A few seconds after the LeBron James-esque chase-down block on Jones, Okoro came up with the game-sealing basket.

With the clock ticking under 20 seconds, the Cavaliers had one last possession, up by one point. Okoro, who was left alone in the corner, made a great back-cut to get open, caught the pass from Andre Drummond and threw down the dunk to send the Cavaliers to victory.

Okoro finished with eight points, two rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

“The recognition of a young guy who sees his man leave to go double team and then make that cut and then the great pass by Andre and obviously the finish,” Bickerstaff said after the game. “Then, the chase-down block. If it wasn’t early January, we’d be talking about that for a long, long time. It was phenomenal. To go get it cleanly without fouling and before goaltending the ball, and to have to cover that ground. That was an epic play by a young player at a critical moment of the game.”

Okoro returned to the Cavaliers’ lineup on Wednesday versus the Orlando Magic after dealing with a left foot sprain. He was also on the COVID-19 health and safety protocol list but was removed earlier this week prior to arriving in Orlando.

The fifth overall pick had played in just two games prior to his absence but the rest of the roster can already tell how vital he is to the success of the team. Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. has likely already emerged as Okoro’s biggest fan.

“There is not enough good I can say about him,” Nance said. “[When he came back], we got a winner back. I’m a big Isaac Okoro fan. … He knows I’m a fan of his. I’ll keep continuing to tell him. The sky is the limit for him. He has already got intangibles other people can’t teach so whatever he picks up from here is just a bonus.”

The impact Okoro has made in such a short timeframe speaks volumes about his potential with the team. The team already sees him as a key piece moving forward and that will likely result in that fan club growing each time he steps onto the court.

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