The Cavaliers face a major hump amidst their dream run. The Cleveland side’s success did not only depend on Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley but on plenty of other side pieces too. And, one of them is Isaac Okoro. This elite two-way defensive forward, who started the game, didn’t return to the floor for the second half in the Wednesday night clash against the Denver Nuggets.

Reportedly, Isaac Okoro suffered a left knee contusion in the first half and didn’t return for the latter half. With less than 6 minutes left in the second quarter, the 6 ‘6 forward clocked out of the game and didn’t seem to be anywhere near the court ever since. In the case of Okoro’s absence, Coach Kenny Atkinson will have to manage his minutes among Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, and Dean Wade.

And it was Wade who started the second half in place of Okoro. Kenny Atkinson utilized the 3 reserves to perfection so that the team didn’t feel the absence of Isaac Okoro. The 23-year-old played only 12 minutes while averaging 21.4 minutes this season. So, in his absence, the Cavs flexed their depth- Wade, Niang, and LeVert in that role. Guess what?

The trio posted 31 points together from the bench and they shut down Nikola Jokić & Co. with a 126-114 win. In short, this has been the success story of the Cavs. The pitch-ins from the rest of the roster apart from the core three do the trick!

Moreover, Okoro isn’t about his offensive abilities but the lockdown defense he brings to the table. Above all, he has also equipped himself with a good shot range from deep, shooting at 46.2%. Nevertheless, let’s find out how important is Isaac Okoro for the Cavs.

Why is Isaac Okoro important for the Cavaliers?

While we already have a brief knowledge about the impact that Okoro can bring on the court, we are addressing the impact that he can bring to the future of the team. The Cavaliers are already looking lethal and they are undoubtedly the favorites for the championship alongside the Celtics. However, the 23-year-old’s presence can further strengthen the side. To be precise, whatever happened at the trade deadline… Now, it may start to make sense.

During the off-season, the Cavs didn’t make much noise apart from hiring Kenny Atkinson as head coach. However, the team sneaked in a contract extension for Okoro, signing him for three more seasons for $38 million. It’s not a steal only because of the value of the contract, but also for the talent that the team can trade by replacing him in the trade deadline, as per ESPN’s Kevin Pelton.

However, this dream could go in vain if the knee injury is severe. While we are not aware of the severity of his knee contusion, Okoro could lose up to 1-4 weeks. Let’s hope that the star hasn’t sustained any severe contusion, makes a speedy recovery, and returns to the floor. What do you make of Isaac Okoro’s performance this season? Let us know in the comments.