NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Isaac Okoro Injury, Chuma Okeke Return Timeline
Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Isaac Okoro missed his fourth consecutive game Saturday night after suffering a sprained foot against the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 26. But the Cavs are hoping he will return in short order.
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reported that the hope within the organization is Okoro will be back on the floor Monday, when the Cavs' road trip continues in Orlando against the Magic.
On the surface, Okoro did not appear to have the biggest of imprints through the first two games. The No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 draft averaged 37.5 minutes in the first two contests but put up seemingly pedestrian numbers of 5.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists. However, the Cavs have struggled in Okoro's absence.
Cleveland entered Saturday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks with an offensive rating of 117.6 with Okoro on the floor. That mark has fallen to 102.8 in his absence. The defensive impact was not quite as drastic, though it was still similar. Cleveland had a 101.9 defensive rating when Okoro was in the rotation, which has become 104.6 without the former Auburn star on the floor.
Okoro had beat out Cedi Osman and Dylan Windler to earn the team's starting small forward role in training camp. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff suggested the team misses Okoro's steadying influence on both ends of the floor, per Fedor:
"It's just Isaac. He makes you feel comfortable. He makes you feel like you can trust him because of the way he plays. He's safe with the basketball. He doesn't mess up many assignments. He executes offensively where he's supposed to, and he just does all the little things that make the game of basketball easy. He made us feel extremely comfortable that we can rely on him while he's out there on the floor."
The 19-year-old was one of the highly lauded wings in the 2020 class heading into the draft, though more so for his defensive acumen than offensive game. Okoro was still a scoring presence in his lone season at Auburn, averaging 12.9 points and making more than 60 percent of his two-point attempts. But his shooting range was limited (28.6 percent from deep), and he was not necessarily regarded as a top playmaker or ball-handler.
However, Bickerstaff alluded to Okoro's basketball IQ and his execution as having a tangible impact on teammates. His ability to guard multiple positions and switch also benefits the backcourt of Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, neither of whom is a terrific individual defender.
The Cavs are hoping to make strides in Bickerstaff's first full season as head coach. Okoro's continued progression in the starting unit would appear to be a big part of that potential growth.
Chuma Okeke to Miss 'Several' Weeks
Orlando Magic forward Chuma Okeke has had a rather inauspicious start to his NBA career.
Okeke missed the entirety of the 2019-20 season because of the torn ACL he suffered in the Sweet 16 of the 2019 NCAA men's tournament. The Magic still selected Okeke with the 16th overall pick despite the injury, showing a level of comfort in allowing the former Auburn star to get back to full strength.
Unfortunately, Okeke has suffered another setback.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported Okeke is expected to miss "several" weeks of action because of a bone bruise in his left knee. That is the same knee in which Okeke suffered the torn ACL, but Wojnarowski reported there is no ligament damage this time around.
The 22-year-old looked like he could be a tremendous fit in Orlando given his versatility. Okeke averaged 1.8 steals and 1.2 blocks in his sophomore year with the Tigers, showing an equal ability to play passing lanes and protect the rim.
Okeke was averaging 3.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists while playing a little more than 18 minutes a night through his first five games.
All stats obtained via Basketball Reference unless otherwise noted.
