2020 NBA Draft: Top 1st round options for Cleveland Cavaliers

1. Isaac Okoro, Auburn

Isaac Okoro is a player who will no doubt be drafted in the lottery but will get some confused looks from the more casual college basketball fan who doesn’t look at Okoro’s statistics and think “superstar” but of course basketball is more than just numbers and Okoro’s physical profile is the place to start when understanding why he is such a highly-rated prospect.

Okoro stands at 6-foot-6 with a near 6-foot-9 wingspan. Those figures actually aren’t extremely imposing by any means but the raw strength packed into that frame is. The Auburn product is a true small forward but when he widens his stance and gets low, he is a hard man to move. Because of the lack of true back-to-the-basket bruisers at the five in the NBA, Okoro is capable of guarding up a position and perhaps two in the right situation.

For example, it wouldn’t be inconceivable that Okoro could slow down fives such as Chicago Bulls’ Wendell Carter Jr. (6-foot-9, 260 lbs.), Dallas Mavericks’ Dwight Powell (6-foot-10, 240 lbs.), or Brooklyn Nets center Jarrett Allen (6-foot-11, 243 lbs.) in a pinch.

Okoro’s primary role will eventually be to guard the opponents’ best wing player but on Day 1 he will serve as a solid off-ball disruptor. Over 28 games Okoro averaged 1.7 steals and 1.6 blocks per 100 possessions. Despite his wingspan not being incredible (6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-8.5 wingspan), Okoro’s timing on the defensive end of the floor is what will allow him to collect somewhere in the ballpark of a block per game at his peak. But more important than the blocks is the innumerable shots he will change by causing havoc near the rim.

In Cleveland, Okoro would fit in quite well with Koby Altman and Co. have built to this point. He could start in place of wing Cedi Osman or come off of the bench as a capable backup wing and intriguing small-ball power forward for the Cavaliers fastest lineups.

Ultimately, Okoro is a pick that would be securing a nice long-term vision for Cleveland even if the move didn’t pay off right away. His high turnover rate (15.2%) at Auburn would usually be a big concern for a team like the Cavs that were dead-last in the league in turnovers but his usage percentage in college does not reflect the low usage role he will have on offense in the NBA.

With Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, and eventually Kevin Porter Jr. controlling the majority of Cleveland’s possessions on offense, Okoro will be able to settle in nicely as the Cavaliers’ de facto defensive stopper as his 3-point shooting (28.6% from 3) and free-throw shooting (67.2%) catch up to his finishing at the rim (67.8%).