The Rockets’ secret weapon with 6 wins and 1 loss in the past 7 games! Former substitute Okogie won the starting position with defense

Translator's Note: The original article was published in the "Houston Chronicle". The data in the article are as of the time of publication of the original article (November 10, local time). The dates and times involved are all local time. The opinions expressed in this article have nothing to do with the translator or the platform.

When the Rockets signed forward Josh Okogie this summer, completing their last signing in the NBA free agent market, Okogie had the same expectations for himself as everyone else.

"Be that dynamic player coming off the bench," Okogie said.

In the previous 6 NBA seasons with the Timberwolves, Suns and Hornets, Okogie played as a substitute in 249 of the 416 games he played in his career. Therefore, Okogie came to the Rockets on a one-year veteran's minimum contract and did not attract as much attention as the Rockets' previous offseason introductions of Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela.

Okogie, who was initially viewed as a depth addition, is now a starter and is proving to be a vital addition to the Rockets through the first month of the season. In games with Okogie in the starting lineup, the Rockets achieved a record of 6 wins and 1 loss.

"No one expected this," Okogie said after participating in the Rockets' shootaround in San Antonio last week, "but now that we're here, we've got to keep working hard and keep winning."

After losing the first two games of the season, the Rockets abandoned their twin-tower starting lineup and inserted Okogie into the starting backcourt to partner with Amen Thompson and made him a tenacious on-ball defender and a three-point threat.

Okogie averaged 8.6 points per game, hit 1.6 three-pointers, and shot 50% from the field and 50% from the three-point range. His offensive efficiency of 125 ranked second in the Rockets behind Alperon Shenjing; his 12 steals were also tied for the highest on the team with Shenjing and Reed Shepard.

Okogie has seamlessly integrated into the Rockets' tough, physical style of play.

"He has the same qualities as the players we originally brought in, and he can do what Dillon (Brooks), Dorian, Jasion (Tate) did," Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said. "His defensive versatility, offensive rebounding and shooting ability are what we have in that era. The position is needed. This relieves the pressure on Amen, so he is a player who can fit into a variety of lineups, and his improvement in the depth of our lineup is not only reflected in the comprehensiveness of defense."

Uduka said frankly that he did not initially expect Okogie to play such an important role. But with Tate and Finney-Smith both recovering from offseason ankle surgeries at the start of the season — Tate has returned, but Finney-Smith has yet to make his debut for the Rockets — Okogie has jumped up the pecking order.

Although Okogie is only 6 feet 4 inches tall (about 1.93 meters), his physical fitness and low center of gravity allow him to guard the opponent team's best guards and interior players-this is similar to the versatility of Thompson and Brooks, who was sent away by the Rockets in the trade involving Durant in the offseason.

On the Rockets' recent road trip, Okogie guarded Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr., Spurs center Victor Vunbanyama and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. He also guarded Grizzlies guard Ja Morant and Spurs guard Stephen Castle.

"Defense is fun," Okogie said. "For me, I don't really see it as a challenge. I see it as fun, like a kid in a candy store."

He has a keen sense of smell on the defensive end and can always seize opportunities to complete steals. Early in the first quarter against the Spurs, Okogie intercepted Vunbanyama's ball on the outside and quickly ran in to complete a fast-break dunk. He completed a total of 5 steals in the game, tying his career high.

Okogie said that when he was drafted out of Georgia Tech with the 20th overall pick in 2018, he was not a defensive stalwart. But that quickly changed under the guidance of Tom Thibodeau, his first NBA head coach while playing for the Timberwolves.

"Coming out of college, I wasn't actually the best, strongest defender. I had those talents, but in college I was all about scoring," Okogie said. "My first head coach kind of planted the defensive engine in me, and it's been my passion in the league ever since. I've always stuck to that and worked hard to hone my skills on the defensive end."

Durant and Okogie were teammates with the Suns for parts of the past three seasons - starting when Durant was traded to the Suns in the middle of the 2022-23 season and ending when the Suns traded Okogie to the Hornets in January of this year.

Durant said he "knows Okogie inside out" and is excited to reunite with the Rockets.

"He did his best on the court, making two and three fights, and he did a great job, and his efforts were rewarded on the offensive end," Durant said. "When we received the ball, he was able to hit shots efficiently. So, as long as you are willing to work hard for the team on the defensive end, the offense will become easier for you."

On the offensive end, Okogie is not the Rockets' first, second or even third choice. He understands that Durant, Shen Jing and Thompson are the team's strongest scoring points and attract most of the attention of the opponent's defense. Jabari Smith Jr.'s status can be said to be above Okogie's. But this dynamic also naturally leaves Okogie open, and he's ready to take advantage.

With Okogie on the court, the Rockets' assist rate increased by 11.4%, and their turnover rate dropped by 2.7%. While Okogie doesn't want to take all the credit, he said he's focused on making an impact without the ball..

"What I've learned over the years is that I'm not a player who needs to hold the ball a lot to create his own shot," Okogie said. "But I've learned how to catch the ball in different spaces -- and not just catch the ball in different spaces, but what to do when I catch the ball. If I catch the ball in traffic, I know where I'm going to go. Ball point...Guys like Alperon, KD, Amen, Jabari, I know where they want the ball. So I feel like my job is to create easy scoring opportunities for them through screens or passes."

But the disadvantage is that when Okogie misses open shots, it will affect the Rockets' space. For example, in Sunday's win over the Bucks, Okogie went 0-for-3 from the field and was replaced in the second half by second-year guard Sheppard.

It's unclear whether Okogie has earned enough trust to retain the starting job when Finney Smith returns, but that day doesn't appear to be imminent.

When asked about Finney Smith's next step on Friday, Udoka said: "Just continue to gradually increase the intensity. He is doing non-confrontation training, and we have to see how the ankle responds to the increased load. So there is really no timetable at this time."

If the Rockets ask Okogie to return to the bench at some point, he will happily accept it.

"Winning at any level, whether it's little league, high school, college, requires sacrifice," Okogie said. "Not everybody can shoot, not everybody can rebound, not everybody can pass. I mean. It's not ability, it's opportunity. So you have to be able to adapt to the position you're in and be able to shine in your role. I think a lot of people on our team have that selfless spirit and we're willing to do anything to win."

He paused and corrected himself.

"I shouldn't say a lot of us, but all of us."