As Isaac Okoro watched Caris LeVert corral the ball off a tipped pass from Jarrett Allen, Okoro moved to the corner, got to his spot, and waited. LeVert thought about shooting, but saw Okoro open in the corner and threw him the ball. Okoro caught the pass, immediately took the 3 and nailed the shot with 0.7 seconds left on the clock.

Absolute CHAOS to end the Nets-Cavs game…

…and it ends with Isaac Okoro as the hero!

🎥 @NBA

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 24, 2023

While Okoro has been known for his defensive nature during the past three seasons, that one moment from the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 116-114 win over the Brooklyn Nets on March 24, provided a glimpse of what the 22-year-old forward can do offensively in those pressure-filled moments.

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As we look back on the Cavs 2022-23 season, we look forward to what’s to come from players on the roster. We started this series reflecting on Evan Mobley’s second year and his future.

Next up, Isaac Okoro.

Year in review 

When the Cavs selected Okoro at No. 5 in the 2020 NBA Draft, they took him for his defensive prowess. It didn’t take long for Okoro to showcase how he could be that defensive stopper for Cleveland as he quickly took on the challenge of guarding some of the NBA’s best.

That hasn’t changed in the three seasons Okoro has been in the league. On a nightly basis, Okoro has played an important role for the Cavs on the defensive end. He knows how to get through screens, deny opposing players the ball and keep his man in front of him. With Okoro on the floor during the 2022-23 regular season, the Cavs had a defensive rating of 109.0.

At the end of Okoro’s second season, when he averaged just 8.8 points per game, the Cavs talked about wanting to “unlock” Okoro offensively. It was something he wanted as well. During the offseason, he spent time with Cavs’ shooting coach Andrew Olson honing his 3-point shot, as well as working on his ballhandling, shooting and finishing at the basket. He also stated during preseason how he wanted to become more of a two-way player and be effective on both ends of the floor.

While that sentiment to unlock Okoro didn’t change, the Cavs pulled off a blockbuster trade over the summer to land Donovan Mitchell that changed their starting lineup. Okoro moved over to the wing as Mitchell would play in the backcourt with Darius Garland. Okoro was one of six guys in the conversation during training camp and preseason for the starting small forward position.

Okoro first came off the bench to start the season, but eventually moved into the starting lineup on Jan. 4. He played a total of 76 regular-season games, starting 46 of them. Okoro dealt with a knee injury that caused him to miss the final six games of the regular season. He finished the regular season averaging a career-low 6.4 points per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from 3.

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Okoro returned for the playoffs and was inserted back into the starting lineup for the first two games of the series against the New York Knicks. Okoro, however, was pulled from the starting lineup after Game 2 and was replaced by LeVert, who started the final three games of the series. The Knicks frequently left Okoro open in the corners to help on the other four Cavaliers. He averaged just 6.4 points per game during the playoffs in 14.9 minutes, shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from 3.

During Okoro’s exit interview following the Cavs’ first-round exit, he reflected on the season that was filled with numerous “ups and downs.”

“I feel like as the year went on, I kept on improving, kept being myself, keep staying to my routine. My workouts never wavered,” he said.

Is Okoro a part of the Cavs’ long-term future?

The Cavs need Okoro’s defensive presence on the court, but his offensive growth continues to be the biggest question about him. As he heads into his fourth season in Cleveland, it will be important for him to increase his 3-point volume and efficiency to be more of an offensive threat. If he can build on that consistency of his perimeter shooting, then opposing defenses won’t be able to leave him wide open in the corners and send a defender at him — which would limit opposing defenses from helping on the four players on the floor.

During his exit interview, Okoro said he wanted to use this offseason to work on becoming a better shooter, ballhandler, creator off the dribble, defender and rebounder.

“I can just take away that I’ve just been working from the start of the season to the end of the season,” Okoro said. “Just keeping that same routine, that work ethic, and just using that in the summer and then coming back next year better.”

Okoro also planned to use the Cavs’ disappointing first-round exit as fuel to come back better next year.

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“Whenever I’m in my workouts, whenever I don’t feel like working out, just using it as motivation,” Okoro said. “Whenever I need extra boosts, just using it as motivation.”

There is a long-term decision looming on for the front office on the fourth-year forward. Okoro is entering the final year of his four-year, $29 million rookie deal, and is extension eligible this summer. He could also be a restricted free agent in 2024. According to Spotrac, the Cavs could extend a qualifying offer of $11.8 million to Okoro.

President of basketball operations Koby Altman said at his end-of-season news conference that while the Cavs want to add shooting this offseason, there is also a level of internal growth that they are expecting from their young guys like Darius Garland, Mobley and someone like Okoro. How much do the Cavs value what Okoro brings on the defensive end of the floor? Have his offensive strides been enough?

This offseason will be an important one for Okoro and his future in Cleveland.

(Photo: Winslow Townson / Getty Images)