The Cleveland Cavaliers are bracing the upcoming 2020-2021 NBA season with the help of rookie swingman Isaac Okoro who is ready to make an instant impact for the team. The Cavs are high on their most recent lottery pick and has huge expectations for him to contribute right from the get-go.
Center Andre Drummond praised team general manager Koby Altman for making a wise decision and opted to select Okoro out of Auburn with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
“I told Koby he made a hell of a pick,” Drummond said via Cleveland.com.
The two-time All-Star also had good words to say for the 19-year-old who is already looking built well enough to play in the big leagues.
“This kid is ready to play now,” he added. “He’s an incredible player and incredibly smart. He knows the game. His body is ready. There’s not much work he really needs to do besides just staying patient with himself and learning the NBA speed of the game. He only gets better and better each and every day. He’s so exciting to watch grow.”
Okoro already got his first taste of NBA action when he appeared in the Cavs’ four preseason games. In his first contest against the Indiana Pacers, Okoro impressed as he chalked up 18 points in 32 minutes including a game-winning layup en route to a narrow 107-104 victory.
In the following tilt against the same opponent, he followed it with a more balanced production with tallies of 15 points, three rebounds, and four assists as the Cavs snagged their second preseason win on a 116-106 decision.
Okoro’s production dipped in their third preseason encounter against the New York Knicks where he was limited to score 10 points in 30 minutes of action in a 100-93 loss. His preseason stint ended with tallies of two points, two rebounds, and two assists through 18 minutes against the Knicks for a 119-83 defeat.
With a 2-2 preseason record, the Cavaliers are aiming to flip the switch this season. After his inconsistent performances, Okoro showed that he still has room for improvement but his overall development should see an upswing as the season progresses.
Here’s to hoping that Isaac Okoro can already make noise in his first professional campaign and ultimately prove that the Cavaliers made the right choice of bringing him to Cleveland in the first place.