They put one wing in, one big out, should the league be shaking all about? The Houston Rockets have started veteran forward Josh Okogie in their last two games, both wins. Is the departure from head coach Ime Udoka’s preferred double big lineup a long-term solution? Or has the O(k)ogie-Boogie man been unleashed just for the Halloween season?
Did Rockets’ Hokey-Okogie Adjustment Turn Things Around?
Okogie as a Starter
Okogie’s first start with Houston came against the Brooklyn Nets. He played 30 minutes, scored 10 points, played physical defense, made two three-pointers, and was a +11. Udoka stuck with him versus the Raptors, and he put on a similar performance: 23 minutes, 10 points, 2 threes, +6. His ability to actually connect on the wide-open threes the offense generates for him has been a major boon.
The clues were there even in preseason. Apparently, Okogie’s 28 points on 8-15 shooting against the Hawks should have been the bigger takeaway than Reed Sheppard’s 29 points after all. Most importantly, Okogie shot 2-5 from three in that game. In the regular season, since joining the starting lineup, Okogie is actually 4-5 from deep.
Even while missing their starting point guard, the Rockets have an extremely potent offensive engine in the partnership between Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant. The point isn’t even really to give those two more spacing. They don’t need it, and even with far better shooters around them than Okogie, they probably wouldn’t get it. Sengun and Durant are simply too lethal to guard one-on-one. Defenses will elect to crowd them. The Rockets just need players who will take the open threes and occasionally make them.
Any players looking to benefit from wide-open corner looks also need to hold up on defense, though. The theoretically ideal player for that, Dorian Finney-Smith, isn’t available yet. Still, despite his 7 fouls over two starts, Okogie fits the bill as well. He’s an Udoka player through and through.
The Change From Double Bigs
The double big lineup hasn’t been retired entirely by any means. Centers Sengun and Steven Adams have still played 20 total minutes together over the past two games. They’re a plus 28 in that time as well, so it’s not as if the lineup caused the Rockets any issues. But then, that’s expected. The duo were even positive in 24.9 minutes together over the Rockets’ two opening losses at +4.5. Both games were extremely close and, despite some definite clunkiness, gave Rockets fans plenty to be encouraged by.
As for Okogie’s two starts, the Rockets had no real business losing against the Nets or Raptors anyway. It’s also unrealistic to expect Okogie’s hot shooting to hold up all season long. Since the 2022-23 season, he’s a 33.8% three-point shooter on 2.2 mostly wide-open attempts per game.
Nonetheless, Okogie looked like a sub-rotation defensive depth option when the Rockets signed him. Even stepping up as a sporadic 3-and-D option here and there is an upgrade on expectations. If he can somehow maintain his hot shooting (obviously not at 60%), for the season, he could be a rotation or even starting lineup mainstay. Realistically, his deployment will probably come down to Udoka’s defensive preferences for the matchup. Okogie basically gives the Rockets a second Amen Thompson to chase people around on the perimeter all game. Rockets fans probably remember what he once did out there to former Rocket Jalen Green.
The Last Word
The Rockets’ next game will be against the gap year Boston Celtics on Saturday afternoon. It should be another good matchup for Okogie to try his hand at containing Boston’s trigger-happy backcourt. Alternatively, with decisions on their disabled player exemption still to make, the Rockets could move on to trialling something else entirely. After all, at this point of the season, hokey cokey experimentation is what it’s all about.
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