Auditing the Wolves: Josh Okogie’s crucial spark and the work still to do

Josh Okogie
By Jon Krawczynski
Jun 9, 2020

Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series that will analyze various aspects of the Timberwolves roster for a comprehensive look at where they stand during an uncertain time. 

There is a reason that Josh Okogie is one of just two Timberwolves to survive the great roster purge of 2019-20.

Gersson Rosas spent his first season as Wolves president of basketball operations taking a chainsaw to the team he inherited, trying to turn an aging group built for the halfcourt into a younger, sleeker squad that could keep up with the high-octane offenses of the modern NBA.

Advertisement

Rosas knows that one of the underrated parts of Houston’s rise to prominence in the West was the addition of rugged wing defenders like Trevor Ariza, Luc Mbah a Moute and P.J. Tucker to complement James Harden’s incredible shot-making.

When the dust settled on Rosas’ detonation, the only players left were franchise centerpiece Karl-Anthony Towns … and Josh Okogie. They are the only two players who were on the roster in 2018-19 to make it all the way through 2019-20. Looking at Okogie, one can see glimpses of the kind of wing stopper that every team needs.

During discussions with three different coaches in the league over the last few weeks, Okogie’s name was introduced to the conversation unprompted as a player that would be vying for All-Defensive Team votes sooner than later.

“That kid has some motherfucker to him,” one of the coaches said.

That may be an inelegant way of describing Okogie, but in some ways it perfectly encapsulated a sophomore season in which the hard-nosed guard started to show more of the edge the Timberwolves will need from him when they hit the court again for 2020-21. The Wolves have a long wait ahead of them since they were one of eight teams that will not be participating in the 22-team restart in Orlando next month, but as they head into the offseason evaluating what they have on a roster in flux, one thing they do know is they have a pitbull on the perimeter.

During his rookie season, Okogie was on the quieter side from a public perspective. He put his head down and worked hard, made an impression with his energy and spent the season soaking things in, evaluating and learning. He started to come out of his shell a little bit more in Year Two, bristling when losses piled up, letting teammates know it when they missed a defensive rotation and making his voice heard as his understanding of the league grew.

Advertisement

He remains erratic and unpredictable on offense, with a jump shot that needs major work to make him a reliable threat. But on a team suddenly filled with shooters after Rosas’ midseason roster overhaul, Okogie doesn’t need to get buckets like Harden or Russell Westbrook. With Towns, D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Juancho Hernangomez and Jake Layman, the Wolves have plenty of guys that can fill it up.

What they desperately need more of are the players who can put the clamps on an opposing scorer so every game doesn’t turn into a race to 125.

“He has good size,” another coach said. “He brings a physical toughness but can also chase and guard a J.J. Redick-type shooter who runs his defender off screens for open looks.”

After playing for Nigeria in the FIBA World Cup last summer, Okogie’s season started with a bang in Brooklyn when he found himself head-to-head with Kyrie Irving, one of the league’s most difficult one-on-one covers, with the game on the line.

Okogie’s ability to use his quick feet to stay in front of Irving is unique, and the body control he uses to avoid fouling is already elite. And boy, do the Wolves need it. One of the worst defensive teams in the league didn’t get any better when Jeff Teague and Andrew Wiggins were swapped out for Russell and Beasley. Along with rookie Jarrett Culver, who showed promise with his defensive versatility, Okogie represents the only other player on the roster that has shown a consistent willingness to get his hands dirty on the defensive end.

“I feel like I’m always making an impact,” Okogie said earlier this season. “Scoring isn’t really everything to me. As long as I’m bringing the energy and making my teammates hype, I feel like I’ve done my job.”

Advertisement

That energy is impossible to ignore. Okogie gets into passing lanes, blocks shots at the rim and plays with a frenzy that is controlled on the defensive end but unbridled on offense. He has the quickness to guard point guards and the strength and long arms to hang in there on some power forwards, giving coach Ryan Saunders the ability to get creative with lineups. On a team that often appeared to be going through the motions on defense, Okogie was the one diving on the floor for loose balls, poking the ball from a dribbler’s hand and starting the fast break.

He has also dramatically improved his rebounding numbers from his rookie season to his second, increasing his average from 2.9 rebounds per game to 4.3 with just one more minute of playing time. He also grabbed 5.4 percent of his team’s missed shots, a number that was in the 95th percentile for guards, per cleaningtheglass.com.

The Wolves are going to need more than just Okogie if they are going to take strides defensively next season. For all of his energy, the Wolves still had a putrid 113.7 defensive rating when he was on the floor this season, according to cleaningtheglass.com. But that likely had much more to do with players like Teague, Russell and Naz Reid seeing big minutes with the starting units than Okogie’s individual talents.

The dearth of quality defenders meant Okogie spent a higher percentage of his time guarding All-Stars than all but eight point-of-attack defenders in the league, per BBall Index. Those listed above him, including Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday, San Antonio’s Dejounte Murray and the Clippers’ Patrick Beverley are all considered among the best defenders in the league right now.

“Defensively, he’s exceptional,” Saunders said.

Okogie might not quite be in that top tier just yet, but all indications are that he will be joining that conversation very soon. He has already gained a reputation for being one of the few defenders that can make Harden work for his offense, and he has shown that his “NonStop” moniker isn’t just a cute nickname.

“Just let my defense take over and let everything else follow suit,” Okogie said.

That has been easier said than done. Okogie shot 53 percent from the field on 2-pointers this season but just 26.6 percent from deep. He has proved a quick study from a strategic standpoint. Saunders has installed an offense hell-bent on shooting 3s, looking to narrow the gap between the Wolves and some of the best teams in the league who are firing from the outside with impunity. In 74 games last season, one split between Tom Thibodeau and Saunders, Okogie took 58 long 2s, per Cleaning The Glass, an inefficient shot that has essentially been outlawed by the Wolves. This season, Okogie went 1 for 5 on those shots just inside the 3-point arc in 62 games.

Advertisement

Okogie took 177 shots at the rim in 2019-20, converting 62 percent of them after making 58 percent of his 168 shots at the rim last season. There are times Okogie looks very comfortable offensively, whether it is stepping into a 3-pointer the Wolves need or Euro-stepping to the basket in transition.

His ability to get steals also generates offense for the Wolves, starting coveted fast breaks for easy scores and has shown the ability to hit cutters for layups and dunks off of his penetration and Saunders said he has been encouraged to see Okogie’s drive-and-kick game start to flourish.

His decision-making remains an area for improvement. He turned the ball over on 14.3 percent of the possessions he used this season, a number that lands in the 18th percentile among guards in the NBA.

Despite his struggles shooting the ball and his sometimes erratic playmaking, Okogie became a secret weapon of sorts for the Wolves offense. His ability to draw fouls — he averaged 3.1 free throws per game this season, up from 2.2 as a rookie — became an important part of Minnesota’s attack. His physical, contact-inviting style led to him getting fouled on 17.9 percent of his overall shot attempts, per Cleaning The Glass, which ranked him in the 98th percentile of guards in the league.

“I liked his ability to get to the foul line, draw fouls and get us into the bonus at a quick rate,” Saunders said. “We actually started adjusting our rotation to make sure he was in there when we would get in the bonus late in quarters because he was so high-level getting to the foul line.”

If Okogie is going to be more than a Trenton Hassell-type stopper for the Wolves, he is going to need to put in considerable work on his mechanics with player development coordinator Kevin Hanson, the team’s unofficial shooting coach. Culver is planning to do the same thing and has already been coordinating with the Wolves as he awaits the green light to fully return to practice.

Okogie hit just 33 percent of his corner 3s and 24 percent from above the break, dreadful conversion rates for a shooting guard in a league that is now built on 3s and layups. Those numbers will have to climb because he will likely get plenty of opportunities to shoot next season as defenses focus on Towns, Russell and Beasley.

Advertisement

Whether Okogie is capable of becoming a reliable outside shooter remains to be seen. One thing that has become evident is that he is getting more and more comfortable with his standing in the Wolves locker room. He was one of the few players to challenge Towns on the court when there were defensive miscommunications, making his feelings known when an easy bucket came at Towns’ expense.

Off the court, Okogie has been the most visible Timberwolves player through the protests that have sprung up in response to the death of George Floyd. While Towns has been mourning his mother’s passing, the 21-year-old Okogie has emerged as a strong voice for the team.

“I’m just trying to make sure I’m doing everything in my power to make this world a better place,” Okogie said last week. “I have a generation coming after me. If I just make this place a tad bit safer when I leave, I think I would’ve done a pretty good job for myself.”

Okogie was also integral in helping Culver through the ups and downs of a difficult rookie season, offering advice and scouting help even though Culver could be viewed as competition for playing time. The Wolves believe that the two can share the court together, giving the Wolves a tenacious element to offset the defensive shortcomings of some of their best shotmakers.

Add all of that up and the Wolves have a player that can be a part of a turnaround, especially if he is able to get his shot on track. Even if he doesn’t knock 3s down as Ariza can, the dynamism he brings on defense make him a necessity for a team that needs some backbone to go with the scorers that Rosas has assembled.

One thing Okogie has made clear is his inner belief that he can be more than just a 3-and-D guy. He has spoken in the past about wanting to become the best two-way player in the game, and there is a desire to get a piece of the pie offensively so he is not just getting the table scraps that Towns, Russell and Beasley leave behind. He is well on his way from a defensive standpoint. If he can make some needed improvements on the other end of the court, his future is a bright one.

(Photo: David Sherman / NBAE via Getty Images)

Get all-access to exclusive stories.

Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Try a week on us.

Jon Krawczynski

Jon Krawczynski is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Minnesota Timberwolves, the NBA and the Minnesota Vikings. Jon joined The Athletic after 16 years at The Associated Press, where he covered three Olympics, three NBA Finals, two Ryder Cups and the 2009 NFC Championship Game. Follow Jon on Twitter @JonKrawczynski