The Cleveland Cavaliers could rely more on Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens, and Dean Wade Isaac Okoro is unavailable at the start of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
Isaac Okoro had been quite the iron man for the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2022-23 season. He had played in all 76 games for the Cavs until he left at halftime of Cleveland's game against the Houston Rockets on March 23 with what later would be diagnosed as "knee soreness."
Now it's five games later and Okoro still hasn't seen the floor. He's also been ruled out for Cleveland's final regular season game on Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets.
Okoro was seen doing some individual work on Saturday, but his availability for the start of the playoffs next weekend is still up in the air. If Okoro is unable to go for the start of playoffs, then these players are going to need to step up.
Cedi Osman
Cedi Osman has had a pretty solid season as a bench player for the Cavs. He's appeared in 76 games averaging 8.8 points while shooting 45.2 percent from the field.
Osman has appeared in all four games against the Knicks this season, however, he's only averaging 6.8 points in 17.1 minutes of play. If Okoro can't play against New York then Osman will need to elevate his play and fill in as the small forward providing Cleveland with scoring and defense.
Lamar Stevens
Okoro is primarily on the floor for his elite defense. With him not out there, Cleveland will need to get perimeter defense from somewhere else. This can come from Lamar Stevens.
Stevens has a defensive rating of 111.1 this season which is slightly below the 111.7 rating that Okoro has. The defense is comparable, but in a situation where Ice can't play the Cavs will need Stevens to step up to fill the offense void as well.
Dean Wade
The Knicks are the second-tallest team in the NBA this season, via StatMuse, which could present some challenges for the Cavs in the event they are without Okoro's defense. J.B. Bickerstaff may turn to Dean Wade, who stands in at six-foot-nine, to run the small forward at times.
Wade missed a majority of the front half of the season due to shoulder surgery but has had stretches during the second half of the season that shows he could be a part of the team's rotation. This could come into play if Okoro remains out.
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