Cavs lose defensive ace Okoro for several weeks

CLEVELAND -- The Cavaliers will beryllium without guardant Isaac Okoro for respective weeks aft he suffered a sprained correct shoulder.

The Cavaliers, who person the NBA's champion grounds astatine 23-4, said Thursday that Okoro sustained a sprain to his correct AC associated during the 3rd 4th of Cleveland's Dec. 16 triumph astatine Brooklyn.

He will beryllium reevaluated successful 2 weeks, and the squad said it will update his position and return "as appropriate."

Okoro is 1 of the team's champion protect players and has go overmuch much dependable connected offense. He is averaging 6.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 21 minutes done 23 games pinch 16 starts.

The No. 5 wide draught prime successful 2020, Okoro has diligently worked connected his extracurricular changeable the past 2 years and made awesome progress. He is making a career-best 49.2% of his 3-point attempts this season.

An unrestricted free supplier past summer, Okoro signed a three-year, $38 cardinal statement to enactment pinch Cleveland successful September.

While the Cavaliers could beryllium without Okoro for the adjacent future, mini guardant Max Strus is connected the verge of making his play debut aft being sidelined pinch a terrible ankle wounded sustained during a preseason workout.

Strus has been practicing the past 2 weeks and had been expected to play past week earlier his return was delayed.

On Wednesday, first-year Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said Strus was "awfully close" to playing. Last season, Strus averaged 12.2 points and 4.8 rebounds successful 70 starts for the Cavaliers aft spending the 3 erstwhile seasons pinch the Miami Heat.

The Cavaliers big the Milwaukee Bucks, who won the 2nd NBA Cup earlier this week, connected Friday and the Philadelphia 76ers connected Saturday.