Isaac Okoro is being counted on to play an important role for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, and the emerging forward recently said he believes he can take his steely demeanor into an off-the-court field as well.
Okoro said he wants to be an actor when his playing days are over and has ideas on how he should be cast.
“With great admiration for legendary Viola Davis, the 22-year-old Okoro thinks he would be ideal for any serious, icy, stone-faced part,” wrote Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
“’I could be a serial killer,’ Okoro said.”
He was speaking after playing a starring role in the Cavs’ 110-101 win against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday. His play off the bench – nine points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals in just 33 minutes – was vital in helping them avoid an embarrassing defeat to a Pistons team that had lost 16 games in a row.
It’s arguably the best outing for the Auburn University product since he returned to play late last month after dealing with a knee issue. It came at a good time for the Cavs, helping to keep them above .500 with an 11-9 record.
It could be a sign that they may at last be starting to find more solid footing after an up-and-down start to the 2023-24 NBA season. Cleveland has won seven of its past 10 games as it works through some lineup changes that were brought about by injuries to stars Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen.
Getting contributions from supporting players such as Okoro and Max Strus can help the Cavs stay above water right now and hopefully get them to become a more cohesive unit down the road. In fact, Strus scored 22 points on Saturday and added five assists.
Okoro has not quite lived up to the hype that came with being the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and his place on the Cavs was questioned at times this past offseason.
But perhaps his recent performance can be what pushes him into more starring roles in the future, starting with the team’s next game on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.
