CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Cavs will be without starting small forward Isaac Okoro when they travel to Spectrum Arena to face the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday afternoon.
The versatile wing continues to recover from a left knee contusion sustained in Thursday’s victory over the Denver Nuggets.
Okoro, 23, exited the game after playing just 12 minutes in the first half and did not return. Head coach Kenny Atkinson downplayed the severity of the injury in his postgame comments, noting that Okoro reassured him it was “nothing important.”
However, the team appears to be erring on the side of caution, electing to sideline the defensive stalwart against a depleted Hornets roster.
This decision could have as much to do with forward-thinking roster management as with Okoro’s immediate health.
Dean Wade will return to the starting lineup in his third game since coming back from an ankle injury.
With Cleveland set to face the Miami Heat on Sunday in the second game of a back-to-back, resting Okoro ensures he has the best chance to be at full strength for a road matchup that has long haunted the Cavs.