Isaac Okoro to undergo ‘further examination’ for shoulder injury
Okoro could be the next Cavalier to be on the injury report.
The Cleveland Cavaliers came away with a convincing win on Monday night against the Brooklyn Nets. They controlled every facet of the game. The outcome was all but decided in the first half. However, they weren’t able to get through the game unscathed as Isaac Okoro exited with a shoulder injury.
According to Chris Fedor of cleveland.com, Okoro will “undergo further examination on a right shoulder injury.” Donovan Mitchell downplayed the severity of the injury by joking that he “would’ve played through it.” The Cavs won’t know the severity of Okoro’s injury until further tests that were scheduled to be done on Tuesday.
Okoro has filled in nicely for Max Strus who hasn’t played yet this season. He’s started 16 games for the Cavs and is averaging 6.6 points per game on .495/.492/.714 shooting splits with 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. More importantly, lineups with Okoro and the other four starters — Darius Garland, Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen — have outscored opponents by 9.8 points per 100 possessions (86th percentile) with a 124.8 offensive rating (97th percentile).
The Cavaliers still have a few games off before they take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. They will have three home games from Friday through Monday before heading out on a Western Conference road trip that begins on Friday, Dec. 27 in Denver.
Dean Wade would likely step into the starting lineup if Okoro and Strus aren’t able to go. He’s started 10 games this season including most recently when Okoro was out with a knee contusion.
We should get a better idea in the coming days if this shoulder injury will cause Okoro to miss any time.