Can’t Figure Out Barnes Over Mobley For RoY

It was announced over the weekend that Toronto’s Scottie Barnes was named the NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2021-22 season.

We think the voters got this one way wrong. The award should have went to the Cavs’ Evan Mobley, who made a huge impact on the wine and gold, and was a main reason the team doubled its win total from the 2020-21 campaign.

This is not to slight Barnes, who looks like he will be a terrific player. He averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Raptors, and shot 49% on the year. And we know, Toronto played very well down the stretch and would up winning 48 games, 21 more than the year prior.

For the record, Mobley averaged 15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists for the Cavs, shooting 50.8% from the floor. So, the numbers are very similar. Neither is a three point threat, Barnes making 30% and Mobley, who spent most of his floor time closer to the basket, made 25% of his long range attempts.

So, why was the award given to Barnes? It seems that it’s because the Raptors got hot down the stretch and the Cavs faded. Mobley did miss some games because of an ankle injury, but he only sat out five games.

Barnes did score more down the stretch, averaging 17.1 points after the All-Star break, compared to 14.4 before, but that just points out how consistent Mobley was for the entire season.

After scoring 13.4 points and 7.6 boards in seven October games, the Cavs’ big man averaged between 14.5 and 15.7 points a night in each succeeding month, and his rebound totals were also consistent, between 8.0 and 8.6 per game.

We don’t know the criteria for the individual voters, but it appears they put more emphasis on the second half of the season, the playoff stretch. If they need, that’s unfair to Mobley.

First of all, Cleveland was missing starting players in pretty much every game after the break (yes, we know Toronto had players, notably all-star Fred Van Vleet missing too), and that was partially the reason for losing 17 of their last 26 games.

Second, the award isn’t for the most valuable rookie or the best rookie for the second half of the season. It’s based on the entire season, and from the first game of the year, Evan Mobley made a huge impact.

We didn’t think he would be this good right away because of his build. We figured he would have to play between 20-24 minutes a night at the beginning of the season to preserve his stamina.

Man, we could not have been more wrong. He played 34 minutes per contest, and certainly didn’t fade as the season went on, we already covered that.

We hope that Mobley winds up having the same type of career as two other notable Cleveland athletes who were snubbed for rookie honors had, namely Kenny Lofton and Manny Ramirez.

Again, this is not a slight at Scottie Barnes, who is a very good player. But Evan Mobley made a huge difference for the Cleveland Cavaliers, particularly on the defensive end of the floor, where the Cavs made a huge leap forward.

The voters didn’t get this one right.

The NFL Draft Not Really Big For Browns’ Fans This Year.

The annual NFL Draft takes place this week in Las Vegas and as a Browns’ fan, we can’t imagine it having any less buzz.

GM Andrew Berry traded his first round pick this year and the two years following to get QB Deshaun Watson from Houston. And as we have said before, despite anyone’s personal feelings about Watson’s situation, he is (in our opinion) a top five quarterback in the NFL.

So, no debates on what the Browns need to do about that position for several years.

When you take a broad picture of this football team, it’s a pretty solid roster right now.

Berry has seven picks at his disposal, the earliest being #44, and the Browns have two more selections in the top 100, the 78th pick and the 99th pick, both of those in the third round.

Cleveland could still use another wide receiver, even after dealing for Amari Cooper earlier this off-season, and probably get another tight end, to replace Austin Hooper, who was a salary cap casualty.

On the other side of the football, the defensive line needs bolstering, although the possibility still remains that Jadeveon Clowney could return to the team as a free agent.

Defensive tackle is a position of need, although it depends on whether the coaching staff thinks Jordan Elliott and Tommy Togiai can be starters next season. We would feel better if a high draft pick were to be used on this position.

But we would say there is no expectation any player drafted next weekend will be starters when Cleveland kicks off their season in September. Even if a wide out is picked at #44, no one will be concerned if the rookie starts the year as a third receiver.

That shows how talented this current roster is. And Berry has set up contracts so the Browns still have plenty of cap space despite the moves for Watson and Cooper, the presence of Myles Garrett, and even Denzel Ward’s new deal.

There are national writers who believe the Browns may have the most complete roster in the NFL, even though they finished 8-9 last season.

Think about it, they have arguably the best pass rusher in the game in Garrett. They may have the best running back in Nick Chubb. And they have a top cornerback in Ward.

They have perhaps the best guard tandem in the NFL in Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller.

And now, they have a top passer in Watson.

One area they still need to address is kicker. Chase McLaughlin was one of the worst field goal kickers in the league last year. When you lose six games by six points or less, that weakness is even more noticeable.

Also, they are in a division where the best in the league resides in Justin Tucker of the Ravens, and the Steelers and Bengals also have more than solid guys.

It’s something Berry needs to fix. The Browns have to know when they get inside the opponents’ 40-yard line, they are going to come away with points. It’s been awhile since that’s been the case. You have to go back to Phil Dawson.

We wouldn’t be shocked if a later round pick is used to bring one in.

It’s been a long time since Browns’ fans haven’t been obsessed about the NFL Draft. Not having a first round pick does that.

Cleveland will likely be observers on Thursday night, but the fun begins on Friday, when all fans become amateur GMs.

Some Trends Developing For Guardians

As we found out, the COVID 19 virus is still very much among us and the Cleveland Guardians have had four players test positive. This has forced roster moves we are sure the organization didn’t want to make.

We figured to see Enyel De Los Santos sometime after the starting pitchers were sufficiently stretched out. The former Phillie and Pirate right-hander pitched well enough in spring training that is was a surprise he didn’t come north to start the regular season.

However, Kirk McCarty and Tanner Tully were not in the plans at least in April, but here they are because Cal Quantrill and Anthony Castro had to be put on the injured list.

Losing the red hot Owen Miller doesn’t help the batting attack either. Miller was 14 for 28 with seven extra base hits to start the season, and along with Jose Ramirez, was the best hitter Terry Francona put in the lineup.

While it is still early, there are trends from Francona in doling out playing time.

First, despite the talk about playing Amed Rosario some in left field in spring training, that appears to be dead. Rosario dropped a fly ball on a very windy opening day and apparently that was the end of that.

The problem is that Rosario is a below average shortstop defensively. Andres Gimenez is better and when Gabriel Arias was up yesterday, he’s also better. Both of those young players are playing second base while Rosario continues to play the most important defensive spot on the infield.

Very, very odd.

As for Gimenez, it seems the organization is viewing him as a platoon guy right now. He’s had two at bats vs. LHP so far, and when a southpaw starts for the opposition, the Guardians have used Yu Chang, Miller, Arias, and Ernie Clement at second.

He has hit when he’s played, going 5 for 17, although he has fanned four times without drawing a walk.

It could be that Francona is simply finding time for guys like Clement and Chang against a left-hander, but it seems odd to make a 23-year-old a platoon piece.

Something to watch over the next week or two is how the Guardians handle Bobby Bradley. The left-handed slugger already lost playing time to Miller when the latter got hot, and now with Josh Naylor back, how does the skipper find at bats for him?

Naylor has split his time thus far equally between first base and right field.

Maybe with Miller out, Bradley gets a shot at some playing time, but it looks like the organization already is sour on him because of his extreme swing and miss tendencies, something the management seems to be getting away from.

A player who is getting playing time regularly is Oscar Mercado, and he started out hot, belting three home runs. However, he’s just 9 for 39 overall, and has fanned 11 times without drawing a walk. Just how long is his new found power (six extra base hits) sustainable with that strike zone judgment.

He’s another who could lose time with Naylor back, and don’t forget, Oscar Gonzalez has started off hot in Columbus.

Plenty of these young players are getting opportunities with the big club right now. The guys who take advantage should get a long look at the beginning of this 2022 season.

Cavs Should Be Looking At Top Four Spot in ’22-’23.

Now that the Cleveland Cavaliers did not advance to the real playoffs, which started Saturday, it’s time to look towards the 2022-23 season, and there will be expectations for J.B. Bickerstaff and his squad.

It will no longer be a nice story to get close to the playoffs. The expectation by most observers, will be making one of the top five seeds in the Eastern Conference.

The question is how will that be accomplished.

Cleveland has to get better offensively. They were 20th in offensive rating this season and seventh defensively, although that ranking declined after the midway point of the campaign.

The Cavs should have Collin Sexton healthy heading into training camp, barring a trade. We say that because what assets does GM Koby Altman have to try to improve the wine and gold?

Kevin Love’s contract is now expiring, and that used to have value, but in the past few seasons, it has been less and less important. And Caris LeVert has one more year on his current deal. Does the front office want to extend him?

They have a lottery pick, which will likely be the 14th overall pick barring some extreme luck in the draft lottery. We feel the Cavaliers would be better off moving that pick for a veteran who can contribute immediately.

The team is young enough right now, and to us it is obvious someone with more experience would be a bigger help.

Altman and Bickerstaff have to decide what kind of team they want going forward. Early in the year, it used size, playing slower, and playing defense. It was an old school approach.

Is that the way they want to continue? We asked because in the second half of the season, they seemed to get away from that style. We know injuries played a big factor, but the Cavs did go 9-17 in their last 26 contests.

Can they play two smaller guards together and be effective on the defensive end?

One thing is for certain, the team needs some wings that can shoot the basketball, someone in the 6’7″-6’9″ range. Yes, Love does that, but good teams have more than one player like that, and with guys like Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley inside, having shooters will make them more effective.

Speaking of Mobley, no doubt he will get stronger in the off-season and be more of a force next season and beyond. With so much discussion about Garland’s improvement and being the team’s best player, he is just renting that title because next year, Mobley will likely be the Cavs’ premier star.

Altman also has to make the roster deeper. Coming into the season, he filled two spots, Kevin Pangos and Ed Davis, with players who can’t play in the NBA. That can’t happen this off-season.

And decisions have to be made on Dylan Windler, who either can’t be a rotation player on a good team or needs a fresh start somewhere else and Cedi Osman, who ended the year not in agreement with the coach.

Osman is another guy who plays much better in international competition, when he is used as a playmaker, a drive and dish guy. He’s not used that way with the Cavs, so other teams may have an interest in him.

Lamar Stevens played his way into having a future here, but can the same be said for Isaac Okoro? Okoro has not developed any kind of offensive game, and the question is can he? He’s another player who may have value for a young, developing team.

The Cavaliers are not that any more. They won 44 games in the regular season, double last year’s total. They should be thinking about a home series in the first round of the playoffs and advancing.

In many ways, this is a bigger off-season for Altman and management that the last three summers.

Cavs Season: Encouraging And Disappointing.

The Cavaliers season came to a disappointing end Friday night, when they lost 107-101 to Atlanta in the NBA’s dumb (we thought this before the Cavs lost) play in tournament.

The game was kind of a microcosm of the wine and gold’s performance since the all-star game. They took a sizeable first half lead, 14 points was the largest, and then didn’t make any adjustments to what their opponent did defensively.

They started out shooting well from behind the three-point line, and when the shots stopped falling, they kept taking them anyway. They hit six threes in the first quarter, just seven in the last three periods.

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff tried to go defense in the second half, trying to protect the lead, but because the defensive players he used provide no offense, the Cavaliers scored just 40 points in the second half. Had they mustered 50, the Cavs would be playing today in Game 1 of a seven-game series against Miami.

Isaac Okoro and Rajon Rondo, the two players the coach went with, combined to go 2 for 6 from the field, 0 for 3 from distance and scored six points. Meanwhile, Kevin Love, perhaps the team’s best outside shooter outside of Darius Garland, played just 10 minutes and scored three points.

Darius Garland, Cleveland’s best player down the stretch, played poorly, hitting just 9 of 27 shots, including 1 of 7 from three. The Hawks started pressuring Garland as soon as he crossed half court, and the Cavs didn’t do anything to counter.

And after Hawks’ big man Clint Capela was injured late in the first half and did not return to the game, Cleveland didn’t really try to exploit this by getting the ball inside to Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, and Lauri Markkanen.

And of course, Love wasn’t used until late in the fourth quarter.

The Cavs based their early season success on playing three seven footers on the back line, playing at a slower pace, and defense, they ranked in the top three defensively early in the year.

As the season went on, injuries forced them to use a smaller center/forward combination, the pace quickened, and the defense slipped, finishing seventh for the season.

Why didn’t the style and attitude sustain itself? That’s a question for Bickerstaff. It could have been because the early success made the players think they could take short cuts, but there was a definite difference from how the team played early in the season and how they played at the end of the year.

Yes, the Cavaliers had plenty of injuries this season. Everyone of their starters missed at least 10 games during the season. Evan Mobley led the team in games played with 69, and only Garland played more than 65. We are sure that was a major challenge for the coaching staff, but it makes even more sense that Bickerstaff needed to emphasize the core values.

The organization has a big summer ahead. They get to keep their first round pick, which they dealt to Indiana for Caris LeVert, but it was lottery protected. They need to make the roster deeper, and they need to evaluate players like Okoro, Dylan Windler, and even Cedi Osman to see if they are worth keeping.

Collin Sexton will be back, but where and how does he fit in?

And we know Bickerstaff just signed an extension, but his coaching in the two play in games had to raise some eyebrows.

The Cavs took a strong step forward this season, but still, it can be considered a disappointment because of a 9-17 finish and not getting to a seven game playoff series.

That will take some honest evaluation. Here’s hoping a self-audit will be successful.

Guardians Get Patient, Start Scoring.

What a turn around for the Cleveland Guardians, right?

That’s if you can use a two game sample size as the basis for any discussion, which of course a rational human being would not do.

Still, it is eye opening. After the first two games of the 2022 season, in which the Guardians played 19 innings and scored a lone run, Sunday’s game against the Royals featured Kansas City starting Kris Bubic, a left-hander.

Terry Francona gave Bobby Bradley the day off vs. the southpaw and curiously also gave Yu Chang the day off after the pair went 0 for 10 in games one and two with five strikeouts, four of them from Chang.

It was probably a coincidence on that day, but the Guards scored six in the first inning on their way to a 17-3 win, their first of the season.

They scored 10 runs the next two games as well.

It would not be fair to put the blame on the first two games on Bradley and Chang, and if you visit this site often, you know how we feel about both players as hitters. We were never fans of them, or really, anyone with bad strikeout to walk ratios.

However, in moving contact master Steven Kwan up to the #2 spot in the batting order, the first three hitters in the Cleveland lineup all make the opposing pitcher get the ball in the strike zone.

Leadoff man Myles Straw had the second best on base percentage on the squad last season, and the guy he trailed, Jose Ramirez hits third. It sets the tone in the first inning with this trio grinding out at bats and taking walks.

When Franmil Reyes starts hitting, he will no doubt have a boatload of RBI opportunities.

Another young player, Owen Miller has started the 2022 season like he did in AAA last season, that is to say, raking. He has fanned just twice on the season while compiling seven extra base hits (5 doubles and two home runs).

Amed Rosario has dropped into the #5 hole, not a traditional spot for a guy with little power, but he’s also putting the ball in play, fanning just once on the season.

And Ernie Clement hasn’t played much, but he’s walked twice and been hit by two pitches. He’s another guy with a contact profile in the minor leagues, despite striking out three times yesterday.

Some fans have speculated that Bradley and Chang’s future with the team is coming to an end, but we think it’s just about Tito going with the hot bats. It isn’t the organizations style to end a player’s tenure (especially ones that came up through the system) after a couple of games.

On the other hand, if this team keeps hitting, it will be hard for those two to get bigger opportunities.

Look, the first two teams the Guardians have played aren’t known for their pitching, so is the offensive explosion sustainable? That remains to be seen, and the next two series are against the Giants and White Sox, a step up in competition.

But the shift from all or nothing at bats by most of the batting order to a patient, put the ball in place approach seems like it should help score more runs, and that was a problem last year for Cleveland.

The first two series have spurred some interest in Cleveland baseball fans. That’s the best result.

Cavs Need To Regain Early Season Style This Week

It is okay to change expectations of your favorite team once a season starts.

Before the 2021-22 NBA season started, we were projecting the Cleveland Cavaliers would take a jump from their 22 victories last season to around 30 wins this year. They far exceeded that number, piling up 44 wins, double last year’s total.

And that’s great. The organization seems to be headed in the right direction, with a young core of players, all-stars Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, and a player who is a favorite to win Rookie of the Year honors in Evan Mobley.

However, on February 11th, the expectations were far greater. After beating Indiana, the Cavs were sitting at 35-21 and a first round home playoff series was in sight.

Perhaps we were all being naïve. After, many younger NBA teams start the season well and the veteran teams catch up as the season progresses. But it seemed like the young guys wearing the wine and gold had a formula for winning. They were a defensive first team that played with what their coach, J.B. Bickerstaff called “grit” and “scrap”.

Then the all star break hit and so did the injuries.

All three of the star players missed parts of the second half and the style of play changed. The defensive mindset seemed to wane, the grit and scrap weren’t as prevalent. The latter should not have departed with Garland, Allen, and Mobley.

GM Koby Altman swung a trade before the deadline to bring in Caris LeVert, but he was injured too, and when he came back, it didn’t seem like he fit in. There were games where he was a key part of the offense, and others were it felt like he was an outsider.

So the Cavs fell into the “play in” tournament and as the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference, they have two shots to get into a seven game series, and to us, this is a needed step for the future of this group. They need to experience what the playoffs are like and apply that to how they prepare for the 2022-23 campaign.

Their best hope to win one of these games, and if they lose at Brooklyn tonight, they will play either Charlotte or Atlanta at home on Friday to be the 8th seed, is to get back to the style that brought them to that 35-21 record.

Slow the pace, play defense, and run when you get the opportunity. All of these teams have dynamic point guards that need to be controlled. They have to be kept out of the paint where the interior defender have to provide constant help.

Supposedly Allen will not be available tonight against the Nets, and if he isn’t, we would start Moses Brown at center with Mobley and Lauri Markkanen on the front line. That’s how the Cavs played most of the season, especially when they were winning. Size.

It also allows Mobley to provide weak side help as a shot blocker and to be able to concentrate on Kevin Durant on the perimeter.

Playing like they have over the last six weeks seems like a recipe to go home at the end of the week. Hopefully JB can get that message across to his young squad before tonight’s game.

Guardians Still Making Decisions As Season Gets Underway.

Two things happened for the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday, one surprised and one not so much.

The Guards scored one run in the season opener, which is hardly a shock based on last season. We felt the offense would struggle and be the reason for a below .500 campaign.

The surprise was the trading of Bradley Zimmer after the game to Toronto for reliever Anthony Castro, clearing up the outfield situation a bit.

Castro, who will turn 27 in a few days, seems like a decent return. Yes, he has a career ERA of 5.26 in 26 big league appearances with Detroit (1 game) and the Blue Jays, but he has 33 strikeouts and just nine walks in 26-2/3 innings. He’s allowed five homers, which is a concern.

The trade would seem to open up at least a platoon spot for rookie Steven Kwan, who went 1 for 2 in his debut with two walks. And remember, the Guardians need guys who can get on base.

We hope this is the first move to clear up the roster as the 2022 season moves along.

We understand it is just two games into the season, but the middle infield, which are key defensive spots, are in a state of flux.

Andres Gimenez started at short in one game, and at second on Saturday. Amed Rosario played LF and then SS. Yu Chang started at 2B, moved to first during the game, and sat in game two.

In the radio broadcast of the opener, Tom Hamilton noted the Guardians must play a clean game defensively to win. We would say moving players in and out of key defensive positions is not a good way for that to occur.

It also seems odd to back what is the backbone of your team, your pitching staff, with poor defense at key positions.

First, let’s remind everyone that Rosario is not a good defensive shortstop. So, the infatuation with playing him there is odd. And although he had a good batting average in 2021 (.282), he’s not a real good offensive player, because he doesn’t walk (his career high is 31), and doesn’t have a lot of pop, with just a .409 slugging percentage last season and .404 lifetime.

We have not been a fan of Yu Chang, but the organization needs to make a decision on him once and for all, and the way to do it is to play him, let’s say 10-15 games in a row. They need to see if the surge at the end of 2021 was real or not.

In the meantime, give Owen Miller enough at bats so he is ready if Chang doesn’t hit.

Just put Rosario in left and leave him there or make a decision to move him. It’s not like he’s blocking someone right now, and he would have better offensive value not hitting at the top of the order.

Also, in the name of defense, we would make a commitment to play Josh Naylor at 1B when he is activated. An outfield of Myles Straw in center, Kwan/Oscar Mercado in right, and Rosario in LF would seem to have the gaps covered pretty well.

We know that Terry Francona likes to give everyone some at bats early to keep everyone on the roster involved. So, the lineup turmoil could be just that.

It’s also a delicate balance trying to get the most offense the current roster can provide with good defense to back the pitching.

However, it’s why not clearing up the roster duplicity over the winter is an issue. The inability of the front office to make decisions didn’t help the current situation.

Kudos For Signing Jose, But It Looks Like 3rd For Guards in ’22

After a pretty dreary winter for baseball fans in northeast Ohio, the sun peaked out a little yesterday.

First, today is the beginning of the baseball season, another sign that warmer weather will be here soon, and the Guardians will be home next week after six games, four in Kansas City and two in Cincinnati.

Second was the news baseball fans wanted to hear for a long time. Jose Ramirez, one of the best players in the game, signed a five year extension, keeping with the franchise through the 2028 season.

Ramirez could be the first great player to finish his career in a Cleveland uniform while spending every day of it in that uniform since the 1950’s.

We aren’t going to go overboard in praise of the current ownership because they simply did what any owner interested in winning would do. It’s a shame they couldn’t do it with Francisco Lindor a year ago so we could watch the duo of Ramirez and Lindor reach their prime in Cleveland.

It’s a great step in the right direction, but the Guardians’ payroll is still among the lowest in the sport, and the owners continue to put large profits in their pocket. So, forgive us for not sharing a virtual hug with Paul Dolan.

With the games starting to count today, what does the 2022 season hold in store for the newly minted Guardians? We would love to be more optimistic, but we see a third place finish for Terry Francona’s squad, behind Chicago and Minnesota in the AL Central.

Besides Ramirez, the Guardians have one other big thing going for them, and that’s an excellent starting rotation, providing everyone stays healthy. Last year, that did not happen.

Because of the injuries the rotation is probably deeper with the emergence of Cal Quantrill and Triston McKenzie in the second half of 2021. The five starters, including Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale, and Zach Plesac, give the Guards a chance to win every night.

In today’s game, that’s a big thing.

However, beyond that, your guess is as good as ours.

The offense looks like it will struggle. Francona can really write in one great offensive player (Ramirez) and two decent ones (Myles Straw and Franmil Reyes) every day.

We are interested in seeing how Andres Gimenez does this year, but the organization seems hell bent on finding out for sure on players like Bradley Zimmer, Oscar Mercado, and Bobby Bradley.

We are pretty sure we know how that movie ends.

The quicker we see more of Josh Naylor and Steven Kwan among others, the better. And the hitting might get better too.

The bullpen is another area that is up in the air. Who will be the primary set up men for Emmanuel Clase? We are sure Bryan Shaw will start in the role, but who else? We like Nick Sandlin, but he was hurt at the end of the season, and has pitched in just 34 games in the majors.

Besides Anthony Gose, the relief corps right now is filled with pitchers who will be providing length rather than one inning stints.

We will see how that plays out.

Our guess is the Guardians will look a lot different in June and July than they will this afternoon, but did they have to? Last year, the team was very much in the race until Bieber, Plesac, and Civale went down.

If the rotation can avoid the injury bug, the Guardians could stay in the race, but more than likely the lack of offense will be the reason this will be another year outside of the post-season, even with an extra spot available.

The Okoro Dilemma

In the 2020 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers took a player with a defensive reputation with the fifth overall selection. Isaac Okoro was just 19 years old then, and he’s only 21 now, but we didn’t like the selection at the time.

Why? Because at that spot, you need an all around player. Defense and defensive instincts are easier to teach at the NBA level than developing an offensive game. As the great John Wooden said, the same skills that make a player good offensively can be used to play well on the defensive end.

We think GM Koby Altman took Okoro that high because the Cavs were a terrible defensive team the previous two seasons. Again, that had more to do with a lack of defensive philosophy from the coaching staff. We feel if the coaches would have told the team we must defend to win in this league, they would have been better defensively.

So, it sounded really good to bring in a defensive player high in the draft, but fans don’t usually see the problems with this.

First, your defense is only as good as your worst defensive player. You can have Bill Russell in his prime at center or Dennis Johnson at guard, and if the rest of the players on the floor couldn’t guard their own shadow, you will not be a decent defensive unit.

Conversely, having a player who is not a threat on the offensive end causes problems too. What do you think happens to the opponent assigned to guard someone who isn’t an issue when your team has the ball? He’s free, within the rules, to double team a better player, or position himself near the lane to discourage players from driving.

Too often Okoro isn’t a factor on the offensive end. Since the all star break, a span of 21 games, the second year man out of Auburn have taken five shots or less seven times. His high in field goal attempts is nine.

It’s not like he is a great passer either. His high in assists over this time frame is five, done twice.

His numbers after the break are similar to what they were before: 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, but his defensive rating has fallen from 111 to 120. And he’s playing three more minutes per game after the break (almost 32 per night)

Compare that to Lamar Stevens, an undrafted free agent, who also has a defensive mindset.

Stevens is scoring 8.5 points and 3.3 boards since the all star game, and he’s getting just 19.5 minutes per game.

Right now, to our eyes, Stevens is the better player, and if he were the fifth overall pick, he’d be getting 30 minutes per night.

This is not to write off Okoro. As we mentioned earlier, he’s just 21 years old, and has time to improve his game. But he has to contribute on the offensive end. Stevens can. He has a nice mid-range game, and he doesn’t settle for threes (most times).

For the record, we would have taken Obi Toppin with the fifth pick, and we still think he can play if he ever gets out from under Tom Thibodeau.

Who else was available? How about Tyrese Haliburton or Saddiq Bey or Tyrese Maxey. Of all the players in that draft, Okoro has the second lowest VORP (value over replacement player). And that includes the players taken on the second round.

That’s why you don’t take a defensive specialist that high in the draft, you take players who have an all around game. But until Isaac Okoro can make himself a threat offensively, it’s tough to make a case for getting the playing time he is receiving.