Cavs assistant coach excited about Isaac Okoro’s playmaking potential

By Jason Simpson
Updated: August 17, 2021

Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach J.J. Outlaw seems to be very high on Isaac Okoro’s playmaking potential.

“He’s extremely dynamic,” Outlaw said. “So the same things that you see from him when he’s on the wings, or when he’s off the ball, those attacks downhill, the pressure that he can put on the paint, he can do those things when he has the ball in his hands as well. I think he’s just getting more reps and being comfortable handling the ball and getting us organized. He’s an unbelievable athlete, extremely dynamic. He’s definitely capable offensively. And so, I think just us getting him in better spacing, in better situations where he can use all of his skills and use tools to put pressure.”

As the head coach of Cleveland’s Summer League team, Outlaw has gotten an up-close look at Okoro this offseason. Okoro played in two games in this year’s Summer League and averaged 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He shot 59.1 percent from the field.

In the 2020-21 season, Okoro showed lots of promise. He averaged 9.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He knocked down 42.0 percent of his shots from the field.

The 20-year-old has tons of room to grow, and the 2021-22 campaign could be a breakout year for him. With player development being a priority for the Cavaliers, Okoro figures to get all of the time and resources he needs to develop into a star.

Cleveland arguably has one of the brightest futures in the NBA. The team is loaded with young talent, and Okoro is a major part of the organization’s exciting trajectory.

It was reported several months ago that the Cavaliers are hoping to return to the playoffs no later than the 2022-23 season.