What Josh Okogie Brings to Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns forward Josh Okogie was largely seen as an afterthought signing in July of last year when he departed the Minnesota Timberwolves to sign a one-year deal with Phoenix.
Okogie, a former first-round pick, was largely considered a disappointment in Minnesota. The Georgia Tech product was largely seen as a lockdown defender with significant upside as a scorer coming into the NBA, but the jump shot never translated in Minnesota,
The Nigeria national team star only played 49 games and averaged a paltry 10 minutes a game in his last season in Minnesota. The opportunity the Suns presented him was widely seen to be a similar role that he previously had in Minnesota, especially with the Kevin Durant rumors swirling at the time.
The at-the-time five year vet surely exceeded expectations in his first season in the desert, becoming the Suns' main POA defender and a regular starter in the absence of Mikal Bridges.
Phoenix decided to bring Okogie back on another one-year deal in July, and he quickly became a prime candidate to start for the franchise once again.
Number two had a strong showing in both of the Suns first preseason contests, especially in the loss to Denver on Monday night. Another year of continuity with the same franchise, being a great fit in coach Vogel's system, and seemingly showing more confidence on the offensive side all bode well for Okogie and his prospects of being a key contributor to bringing a long coveted title to Phoenix.
POA Defense
The second-year Suns forward has long been seen as a defensive specialist, particularly at the point of attack.
The 6'3" guard is the right size to guard more traditional 1 and 2-guards, but also has a 7-foot wingspan that makes it possible to challenge bigger wings such as Jimmy Butler and former Sun Mikal Bridges.
Although Okogie is quite strong from an anticipatory perspective off-ball, the on-ball defense is where he truly makes a mark. The guard finds a strong balance between footwork, IQ, and lateral quickness/strength to make it very difficult for a ball-handler to blow by to the hoop.
The now sixth-year pro is also known to be extremely disruptive when it comes to attacking closeouts and creating deflections off of overly aggressive ball handlers. The sheer ability to be a pest in those scenarios are sure to create a significant amount of transition buckets for the Suns.
Shooting
Okogie's jump shot is truly a wildcard wrinkle for the Suns' offensive attack this season. While the team already possesses a wide array of strong three point shooters, Okogie's inconsistency from behind the arc has been well documented.
Believe it or not, last season was his strongest 3-point shooting season, knocking down 33.5% of shots on about seven attempts per game.
One would also think Okogie's efficiency would've improved with the acquisition of Durant and return of Booker, but his three point percentage faltered late in the season, leading to a benching in the playoffs in favor of the now departed Torrey Craig.
Once again, it's just a two-game sample, but Okogie seems to be much more comfortable on the floor. In a question post-game, the guard/wing was asked what tweaks were made to his jump shot in the offseason, and he essentially said nothing other than extended repetition.
Okogie being more comfortable in the offense coupled with the better spacing this version of the Suns will almost assuredly provide may potentially make him a dangerous wild card on the offensive end of the ball.
Fit Next to Stars
The veteran is in an open competition with Keita Bates-Diop, Grayson Allen, and perhaps Yuta Watanabe for the fifth starter role (Eric Gordon appears to be the sixth man).
Of all the potential options, Okogie's natural ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the hoop may be the best fit for the trio of stars to play alongside to open games.
In reference to a question referring to Grayson Allen and Okogie's performances offensively postgame Tuesday, coach Vogel was very complimentary of both.
"When he is on the backside, with those guys scoring, he can really give us a different dynamic and J.O. (Josh Okogie) as well. Shooting the ball with confidence from the perimeter, but also attacking and his ability to use the space that those three create to attack the basket. He’s an exceptional driver, so both of those guys are going to really help offensively.”
Okogie not only appears to be continuing the de-facto Bridges defensive role, but also seems to be more comfortable in the new offense, possibly has a newly found ability to shoot from deep consistently, and will use his strong driving ability to attack defenders lagging off when playing next to the trio of star teammates.
Okogie's status as a potential starter will be solidified prior to the regular season opener on Oct. 24th, but until then there are three more preseason tune-ups.
