Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Josh Okogie is rapidly staking his claim for more minutes under head coach Tom Thibodeau, one known to favor his starters and play them for heavy minutes.
Standing at 6-foot-4, Okogie has had to battle for each and every one of his chances, stuck as a tweener between the point guard and his natural shooting guard position.
On Monday night against the Sacramento Kings, the Georgia Tech product was terrific in 28 minutes of play, staying ready despite playing only 13 combined minutes in his prior three games and putting up a combo platter of 10 points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.
Josh Okogie in the 2nd quarter. Dear sweet mother of Zeus pic.twitter.com/xO9VoChKDG
— Kyle Ratke (@Kyle_Ratke) December 18, 2018
Okogie was a wrecking ball of destruction in the second quarter, aiding his team to a 30-point lead by the halftime mark, bursting with energy and gritty play at the defensive end.
“It’s just hard to keep him off the court,” said teammate Robert Covington, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “He brings nonstop energy on both sides. We’re trying to get him into the rotation as much as we can. It’s just a matter of how everything plays out.”
It didn't take long for Thibodeau to notice his impact.
“His talent is the energy,” said Thibodeau. “I think he’s improved. His shot looks a lot better. He’s getting used to the speed of the game and he’s starting to really pass the ball, too. He’s making really good plays.”
Okogie is sadly mired in a logjam at the guard position, with capable players like Derrick Rose and Tyus Jones soaking up the majority of the minutes, despite being Andrew Wiggins' main backup at shooting guard. Yet his high-octane play has proven to be something the Wolves can use to get back to the .500 mark and once again climb up the standings.
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