CLEVELAND, Ohio — The junkyard dog Cleveland Cavaliers is back — and they've got the jewelry to prove it.
After Saturday night's horrific return to the Washington Wizards - a game in which the Cavaliers played several zero-guard lineups due to untimely injuries to Darius Garland (back pain), Caris Levert (leg sprain) and Rajon Rondo. sprained big toe) - Coach JB Bickerstaff started a new postgame tradition.
Instead of briefly addressing the team and then bringing fists together for the usual festive breakdown, Bickerstaff unveiled a custom-made gold chain and draped it around Isaac Okoro's neck.
Junkyard Dog Award.
"It's a symbol of what we value," Bickerstaff told Cleveland.com after the 92-86 victory. "It's something that was created by our people, so we tried to do something that celebrates it and adds to our culture. We wanted to celebrate their mindset."
Months ago, before the unexpected rise of the Cavs, players talked about adopting a dog mentality—hard, gritty, tough, relentless. He was proud of this. Swingman Lamar Stevens also started barking, who has become the team's signature. It has brought them together, a reminder of how they should play.
Now 60 games into the season, the Cavs are still barking. Before and after practice. Ahead of tipoff. After big plays - dunks, blocks, stops, strips, hustle play, 50-50 balls, clutch shots, forced turnovers. After the victory in the locker room.
It started with the players. It is scattered throughout the organization. Even fans are doing it, just as Okoro threw the ball away from Kyle Kuzma on Saturday night and completely disrupted Washington's set play late in the fourth quarter.
This series is his series. It will be awarded to a player after each victory - a fascinating and meaningful ritual. A little extra incentive to persevere.
"It's a team sport," Bickerstaff said. "You have to bring people together. That's the only way to make it work. It's the only way to win."
Bickerstaff started the process of building the chain months ago. The finished product was revealed Saturday night - a giant Cav "C" logo. It is gold with many ornaments and special carvings. Five core values - detail, rigor, togetherness, competitiveness, and 1 - are featured. "JYD" is on the back. There's a sprinkling of other intricate details—a combination of meaningful team markings and other connections to traditions.
The award does not necessarily go to the player with the most points, assists or rebounds. It is reserved for the most serious, the most influential. In Bickerstaff's own words, the person who brings in the most scraps.
It is only fitting that Okoro – whose still-developing game is defined by those traits – became the inaugural recipient.
"He's the type of player who can honestly score zero points, and can be the most impressive player on the floor," Bickerstaff said. "It's not sexy, people don't write about it, but his impact on winning is second to none and ever since he's been with us. We've put him in some really tough situations because he was a rookie here, and He's never bowed, he's never staggered. The only thing he does is try to help us win. And he wins it in the effort, he wins it in a way that most people do. I think we are lucky to have that."
Saturday Night explained the value of Okoro. Second year Rising Star scored six points, going 3-of-7 off the ground. He is in single digits for the third time in the last four matches. Not ideal in a single night the Cavs were missing out on an abundance of offensive firepower. And, yet, with Okoro on the floor, Cleveland trailed Washington by a game-best 18 points.
He started the night with guards shooting wizards Kentavius Caldwell-Pope. Okoro constantly chased the sharpshooter on the move and prevented him from seeing clearly. Caldwell-Pope, who put up 24 points the night before against San Antonio, finished 4-of-10 off the field with 14, including 0-of-2 from 3-point range.
Then in the fourth quarter, as red-hot Kyle Kuzma opened fire to the Cavaliers, Bickerstaff and his assistants made game-changing adjustments. And there was no other choice. It was Okoro's turn to try to pacify Kuzma. Despite dropping almost four inches, Okoro hounded Kuzma in crunch time. With Kuzma vested, Washington's offense ended. Kuzma scored only six of his game-high 34 points in the fourth.
“You’re not going to see the most attractive numbers from Isaac every night, but off the court and on the defensive end, and the effect he has on our morale as a team, you can’t put that in the numbers,” Jarrett Allen said of Okoro. "It's intangible. It goes to us. This gives us a chance to play better defense. Every time you see him running the court, he just does everything you can ask for. ,
Since coming to the NBA, Okoro has been tasked with defending an opponent's best. That is his role. He enjoys it. Bickerstaff trusts him.
James Harden. Bradley Beal. Trey Young. Shai Gilgius-Alexander. Cade Cunningham. Kyrie Irving. Zach Lavin. Dijonte died. Jason Tatum. Any. all the people. one to four. Taking full court. Applying pressure to the ball-handler. Challenging shots. battling through the screen. make additional rotations. Diving for loose balls.
Fight, scrap, hustle.
"We want to play physically all the time," Okoro said. "The effort should always be there. It should not be an excuse."
In four games against Washington this season, Okoro has held Kuzma on a total of 16 points at 3-of-10 off the field and 1-of-4 from 3-point range. Kuzma made just one basket when she was defended by Okoro on Saturday night - a tough, off-balance fadeaway with Okoro wrapped around her.
"He has shown he can do stuff aggressively as well, but his defense is incredible and keeps us going," Markken said of Okoro. "He hustles, plays and revolts. I think that's what drives everyone else. He's a really big piece of it. We always talk about the three-man lineup, but his guard is spot on. It's a big deal for us to be there."
The junkyard dog necklace - similar to a football turnover series - took a while to complete. But it came at just the right time.
In the middle of a tightly tied Eastern Conference playoff race, the Cavs entered Saturday night riding a three-game losing streak. They weren't themselves until recently, losing hold of that defense-first identity. Before the All-Star break, the rebuilding of Indiana, Philadelphia and Atlanta eclipsed the 100-point mark. In the first half finale, the Hawks scored 124 points, the second-highest Cleveland has dropped all season.
Then came a disappointing loss in Detroit two nights ago, forcing a distraught Bickerstaff to deliver a clear and clear message about playing to a certain standard, the kind of effort and attitude that led to this turnaround season.
"We worked very hard for those first 58 games and we just can't let it go, because we've got that all done," said Cedi Usman. "It's time to get into the playoffs. It's time to take another step. That's what JB challenged us to. The loss against Detroit, it wasn't us. I'm not trying to underestimate anyone, but we Know that we can be better, and that we have to be better.
“Winning is really important when we are playing ugly. It was one of those games, but I think we didn't give up. We are down a few bodies, we were down in the score, but we still played. And I think that's what makes us special. It was really important to answer tonight. I believe we have taken a step forward to become the Old Cavaliers tonight. ,
It certainly seemed so. Unattractive, low-scoring game. Many attempts Suffocating defense. Combat Shots. aggressive counterattack. heart. to push Flexibility. oath.
"It was a grind," Bickerstaff said. "It was the guys who made up their mind that they were going to influence the result. They knew where we are at the moment. Every game we win, it has to start on the defensive end of the floor. That's the only one." is the way we give ourselves a chance. We just can't be pretty and comfortable going through things. It's not our identity until now, and when you're missing out on so many parts of your guilt, you don't feel like something We have to find out more. We as individuals and as a team have to get ahead of the person and the team that is in front of us."
Despite being behind by more than 41 minutes of game action, Cleveland recovered from a nine-point deficit in the final six minutes to beat the Wizards 17-2.
The comeback was fueled by Okoro, who took command of the late defense and proudly walked around the locker room with that shiny new gold medal around his neck.
Okoro symbolizes the identity of the Cav. Tone-setting junkyard dog.