Yep. Rockets just so much quicker on defense with him. I'd worry about the offense, but I think there is a place for a lot of minutes even if not starting.
How come this guy is not making more money? He can D. He can shoot the open 3. He can even handle the ball a little. And he doesn't do dumb hero things. He's the kind of 3&D guy every team needs.
Honestly, I’ve wondered the same. It’s really interesting when guys like him fall through the cracks. He is fairly young, has played a ton of minutes, has a skillset that fits in virtually every system, great wingspan, knows his role, etc. Really wish he was on a multi-year contract.
He's 30% 3PT on his 8 year career. He has gotten better, but I feel like he's out there for D&3 and staying in his lane.
I just looked up his career numbers. Looks like he's not very good at shooting earlier. Then he improved in the last two seasons. If he continues at that level, he will get a bag in his next contract. Maybe Stone should have locked him up cheap.
LOL . All joking aside, Okogie is a winning role player. Hard nose D and 40% from threes last couple of years and don't commit dumb turnover or fouls. Always positive plus minus.
He's a Udoka-type player who is finally playing on a Udoka-type team. An actual Udoka team, for that matter. He's likely going to look better here than at any other point in his NBA career. Lucky us!
Yes guys can improve their shot over time and that’s what Okogie has done. If he shoots well again this season it’s fair to say his shooting is not a fluke. That was the big thing holding him back. But even without the shooting I was excited when we signed him because he can do all the other things well. Extremely good minimum signing. Looks like we’ll get more than our money’s worth out of him this season.
If he continues to shoot well, we aren't going to be able to keep him with a minimum. Stone has to make some tough decisions.
Okogie production this year for vet min is just one of the biggest steals of the league. Props to Josh because I was sure he couldn't shoot 3s before. I just hope he doesn't eventually turn into Corey Brewer, a guy we all loved until he started bricking everything. I doubt it though because Okogie is still a terrorist on man defense.
I don't think all of FVV, DFS, Adams, and Capela will be on the team next year. I think Okogie gets signed for 2 years at the TP-MLE. Rockets get Bird Rights. Only issue would be is if another team offers him a full NT-MLE. Even then, Rockets getting Bird rights a year sooner may make up the difference. Caveat: This assumes he keeps playing well. I assume the defense is legit. I just don't know if the shooting is reliable yet.
I think FVV and Adams will likely stay. They are too important for Udoka. Capela is somewhat redundant. A lot of us didn't think he was really needed. I've always liked DFS and think he is a good Brooks replacement. But if Okogie's shooting is not a fluke, we may not need him as much, especially if we keep Tari.
Just watched the whole Nets game. I was dialed in on Sheppard, who played pretty well, had some nice highlights, and showed incremental improvement in areas he needs to work on. But the guy I have to rave about is Okogie. What a tremendous, relentless defender. It's not just his work rate, it's his understanding and communication. There was one play in particular where Porter isolated Sheppard in the post, and Okogie executed a seamless switch to bail him out. You could see Sheppard and Okogie communicating the switch and executing it in a flash. Okogie is doing this stuff all over the court. It's not just his on-ball defense, which we can all see. It's his recognition and execution in team defense. He's making quick and correct judgments, closing gaps, cutting off passes, and busting plays. And in the offense, he's doing whatever we need — screening, cutting, spacing the floor — to facilitate plays for our other guys. I'm not ready to shout "Start Okogie," but you can see how well he fits with our established starters. That extra elite defender significantly affects the other team's possessions, forcing bad shots and creating turnovers that lead to buckets at the other end. You can make an argument that statistically, this adds more value than a good shooter and distributor (Sheppard) who, much as I like him, is a liability in defense. I still believe in Sheppard. His shooting is solid, his court vision is outstanding, his playmaking is improving, and I think his on-ball defense will get a lot better over the course of the season. But in the last 2 minutes of a crucial game? With KD, Amen, and Alpi on the court? Give me a lockdown defender. Give me Okogie.
I don’t know why they wouldn’t start Okogie until he gives them a reason not to. If his 3 pt shooting holds up he solves a great deal of our guard depth issues.
