Despite team struggles, Houston snagged a seasoned defender with a killer wingspan. Okogie brings invaluable playoff experience to the Rockets' lineup.
The Houston Rockets have received their fair share of criticism throughout this season. From roster construction to coaching decisions and player development, there’s a long list of complaints. If you ask me, most of the critiques aren’t unfounded.
Even before the team can take the court and before the coaches have any influence over their team, a roster of players has to be put together. Despite bringing in KD, Rockets general manager, Rafael Stone, has caught some flak for his stagnation at the trade deadline. See the review of that shocking saga here on Roundtable.
It seems to me like Houston just waved the white flag at the deadline and accepted they wouldn’t make it past the first round. Now even after being gifted with an injured Lakers team in the playoffs, it’s seeming increasingly unlikely that the Rockets will advance.
With all of the disappointments through this season and all of the well deserved criticism that came with it, Rafael Stone still does deserve credit for the moves he did make. It’s not all bad, and it’s important to mention that.
Josh Okogie is one big win that the Rockets’ front office has under their belt, despite his numbers not jumping off of the statsheet. His 7-foot wingspan certainly does stand out though, which is exactly why he was brought in.
He set career highs by playing in 78 games while shooting 38.5-percent from three this season. That put his total regular season games played to 494 through 8 years, per Basketball-Reference. Adding his 17 playoff games to that regular season total, the veteran has posted more than 500 games played in the NBA.
Those playoff games are a huge reason for picking him up, as Okogie has experience defending some of the best guards in the Western Conference. He’s only played for teams in the West, aside from 15 games with the Hornets last season. He's also made the playoffs from 2022 to 2024, before missing the cut last year.
After playing Ja Morant and the Grizzlies, he faced Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook, and Norman Powell with the Clippers. After he helped KD and the Suns advance, Okogie was rewarded with the luxury of guarding Jamal Murray on his way to a Nuggets’ championship.
The following season, that Phoenix Suns team was swept by Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves in Round 1. It’s safe to say Josh Okogie has had his hands full through his 15 playoff games before signing in Houston.
It was great to have a guy who could seamlessly slip in and out of the starting lineup at times of need. I’m sure that versatility was enticing for Rafael Stone, and he deserves credit for finding a diamond in the rough for a veteran minimum contract. Especially when he’ll get all of the fully warranted criticism for signings like DFS, as previously covered on Roundtable.