Phoenix Suns guard Josh Okogie is set to return to the starting lineup after he played off the bench in the Suns’ first-round series win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Starters in Game 1. pic.twitter.com/1VQCawP7AP
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 30, 2023
Okogie, who started Phoenix’s last 25 games of the regular season and emerged as the team’s top defender on opposing starts, instead, was benched in favor of forward Torrey Craig. Craig had 15 points in each of the Suns’ first three games against the Clippers.
Okogie is likely in the lineup to try and stifle Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, who averaged 27.2 points on 47.1 percent shooting (42.9 percent from three) with 6.4 assists and 5.4 rebounds in Denver’s first-round series win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Okogie averaged 6.0 points on 42.9 percent shooting but shot just 25 percent from the 3-point line in the first round. He will have to be much better from distance against a Nuggets team that will try and force the ball away from the Suns’ top three players, Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.
Suns coach Monty Williams said the team may switch Okogie, Craig and others depending on the matchup. Phoenix tried to build as much continuity as possible with Okogie in the starting lineup in the regular season, but it showed with its different rotations in round one it is capable of switching different players.
Okogie averaged 11.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in the Suns’ last 25 regular-season games and 7.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in 72 games played this season. Okogie signed a 1-year/$1,968,175 deal with the Suns this offseason after he played his first four seasons with the Timberwolves.
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