Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro has been diagnosed with a left elbow sprain after undergoing an MRI to assess the severity of the injury, the team announced today in a press release.
Okoro, who sustained the injury during the second quarter of Sunday’s game vs. Indiana and didn’t return, will undergo treatment and rehab on his elbow and is expected to miss about two or three weeks, according to the Cavs.
Bad health luck has put a damper on an impressive breakout season for a young Cavaliers team that currently has a 21-16 record, good for fifth in the Eastern Conference. The team has already lost Ricky Rubio (ACL) and Collin Sexton (meniscus) to season-ending injuries.
Okoro’s ailment isn’t nearly that serious, but it will still leave Cleveland with a hole in its rotation in the short term. The former fifth overall pick has started 23 of 27 games he has played this season, averaging 9.0 PPG and 3.6 RPG on .454/.321/.719 shooting in 28.4 minutes per contest. He’s also a major asset on the defensive end.
Lamar Stevens and Dylan Windler are among the candidates for increased roles as long as Okoro remains on the shelf. Cedi Osman can be added to that group too once he exits the health and safety protocols.
Lamar will be picking up the minutes, Cedi will still come off the bench though (because his scoring is Great for the second team) and Dylan will not get playing time.
Please. The reality is the Cavaliers have been one of the healthiest teams in the league. And losing Sexton for the season was the best thing that’s happened to the franchise in years.