One of the Phoenix Suns' biggest questions toward the end of the 2022-23 season was their fifth starter next to Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Deandre Ayton. The Suns never had a consistent player at the position and ended up paying for it in their Western Conference semifinal series versus the Denver Nuggets.

Wing Josh Okogie, who re-signed with the Suns this offseason on a two-year minimum deal, started the team's final 25 games of the regular season. However, then-coach Monty Williams benched him in favor of wing Torrey Craig, who he felt matched up better against the Los Angeles Clippers' forwards. Okogie returned to the starting lineup against Denver but then was surprisingly benched altogether for Game 6.

Okogie and Phoenix have a new coach, Frank Vogel, who is considered an elite defensive teacher. Vogel has led teams to a top defensive rating three times since 2012, the most of any coach in that span. Okogie, who is considered a pesky on-ball defender, is sure to thrive in the scheme.

The question for Okogie, the reigning Dan Majerle Hustle Award winner, is if he will be included as a fifth starter next to Booker, Durant, Ayton and Bradley Beal, who the team acquired from the Washington Wizards in June.

His expectations for 2023-24, from ClutchPoints:

Year in Review

Okogie played his first four NBA seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He signed with the Suns and was viewed then as a competitive defender with great lower body strength and a wingspan reported to be greater than 7 feet. Unfortunately for him, he was viewed as a reserve who did not have a lot of room for growth since his offensive game was limited.

Okogie was one of the breakout stars for the Suns last season. He earned the Dan Majerle Hustle Award for his defensive energy and competitive spirit. And now, he will be back in the Valley as the Suns chase their first-ever NBA championship.

Statistics

PPG: 7.3

RPG: 3.5

APG: 1.5

SPG: 0.8

BPG: 0.5

FG%: 39.1

3P%: 33.5

Playoffs 

PPG: 4.1

RPG: 2.1

APG: 1.3

SPG: 0.6

BPG: 0.2

FG%: 37.8

3FG%: 14.3

Strengths

Okogie was rated a three-star prospect in high school but was later an All-ACC pick at Georgia Tech. His defensive ability earned him a first-round selection in the 2018 NBA Draft (No 20 overall) and pitted him with the Timberwolves for his four first seasons.

It was apparent Okogie was worthy of an NBA role. He received top defensive assignments and is a physical player at a listed 6-foot-4 and 213 pounds. For his career, he is yet to have a defensive rating below 112.2.

Because of his quadricep strength, Okogie has no issue staying in a defensive stance for an entire game and competing at a high level. He is an excellent one-on-one defender against guards, which is why he earned the trust of Williams and the Suns at the midway point of last season.

Once the Suns traded for Durant, Okogie's role grew offensively since Phoenix had fewer bench options. In eight games from Feb. 9 to March 3, he averaged 17.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals. He shot 50 percent from the field and 46.9 percent from 3-point range, an impressive sign of his growth.

Booker told ClutchPoints the team quickly embraced Okogie because of his work ethic. The Suns have been a tight-knit group the last three seasons, which is why they advanced to the 2021 NBA Finals and had a franchise-best 64 wins during the 2021-22 regular season. Okogie meshed as a regular contributor for Phoenix by the end of the year and earned favor of the fans thanks to his work ethic and development.

Development

Okogie can solidify himself as the Suns' fifth starter if he continues to improve as a shooter. He will have value in Vogel's defensive scheme because of his activity and commitment to defense. However, the Suns struggled to find scoring options outside of Booker and Durant in the conference semifinals. Beal will undoubtedly help those issues, but the Suns overhauled their bench with shooting and high-potential defensive players, and Okogie needs to step out from that crowd.

Okogie is at a disadvantage to start compared to Keita Bates-Diop, a 6-foot-8 player who has a listed 7-foot-3 wingspan. Okogie may be the better on-ball defender but Baites-Diop has greater potential on that end and shot 39 percent from 3-point range this past season.

Expectations

The Suns have plenty of questions to answer this season. They have the NBA's best scoring trio, but they will be led by a defensive coach who has built his previous teams on ruggedness and a commitment to dirty work.

Okogie fits that mold and should be a player Vogel likes. But to improve from last season, the Suns will have to be a better all-around scoring team. They shot terribly from 3-point range against the Nuggets (33.1 percent) and Okogie struggled in particular from distance during the playoffs.

Phoenix has a whole season to figure out its identity, so it's possible Okogie could be in and out of the starting lineup. If he wants to be the fifth starter, he has to shoot well off catch-and-shoot attempts from the Suns' big three, stand out in Vogel's defensive scheme and be consistent.