When the Houston Rockets needed a spark a week into the season, it came from Josh Okogie. When they needed another boost during Wednesday’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies, it came from him again.
Okogie, previously viewed as a Kevin Durant tag-along to round out the roster, has quickly become one of the Rockets’ most vital players through the first seven games of the season.
Houston started the year 0-2 and was in need of a spark. That’s when head coach Ime Udoka decided to move away from the Rockets’ patented two-big lineup they had been crafting over the previous nine months and insert Okogie into the starting lineup in place of the taller Steven Adams.
Since that change? The Rockets haven’t looked back. They’ve gone a perfect 5-0, scored 110+ points in each game, and climbed their way to the No. 1 offensive ranking. They’ve won by an average margin of 19.2, while each starter has scored double-digit points in every game. Even their assists have jumped by 10 per game since the lineup switch.
A subtle change with massive results. Thank you, Josh Okogie.
When the Rockets were treading water in the third quarter of Wednesday’s game, it was Okogie who knocked down three consecutive three-pointers to push Houston’s lead to 21. Thank you again, Josh Okogie.
“Josh, I know when you’re gonna make the three or not,” Alperen Sengun admitted after the game. “When you get the ball, you spin it in your hands to make it the right way.”
Okogie was brought to Houston largely because of his familiarity with Houston’s new star, Durant. The two played together the past two seasons with the Phoenix Suns. Okogie, familiar with Durant’s style, has the reputation of being a “three-and-D” player – a reputation he has lived up to in Houston so far by playing tough defense and knocking down a career-best 52% of his three-pointers.
“It’s helped out a lot,” Durant said about having Okogie alongside on his new squad. “I know Josh like the back of my hand. Playing with him the last two years in Phoenix, I know exactly his mindset out there. He is a hard-nosed, pick-you-up 94-feet type of guy. He is a drive-and-close-out, make-the-right-type-of-play finisher [at] the rim. I feel like this environment is perfect for him.”
Okogie was brought in on just a one-year deal, with hardly anyone noticing at the time. But now, he looks like the key that has unlocked this Rockets team and, ironically, one of the best things about having Durant in a Rockets uniform.
Durant’s presence has certainly elevated Sengun and Amen Thompson’s games to the next level. But it also helped bring Okogie to Houston, where he has been the unsung hero driving the Rockets’ current five-game winning streak.
