The Suns Have A Secret Weapon And His Name Is Josh Okogie

Every player in the NBA wants to start, but sometimes a player’s full potential is utilized by bringing them into the game from the bench. For Josh Okogie of the Phoenix Suns, he has lived both worlds this season and Okogie has thrived in his new role with the Suns.

Spending the first four years of his NBA career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Okogie decided to sign a one-year, minimum-like deal with the Suns this past offseason.

“Obviously there weren’t a lot of moves being made in free agency last year though because of Kevin Durant request a trade from Brooklyn and stuff like that, so when Phoenix told me they wanted me to join the organization and obviously I had seen how great their culture was, that was a no-brainer decision for me,” Josh Okogie told Fastbreak on FanNation recently in an exclusive interview. “To be able to join that group of Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Monty Williams and what he has built with this organization, I knew this was the right move for me.”

Early on in the season Okogie sat near the end of the Suns’ bench, out of their nightly rotation and really only seeing minutes late in the fourth quarter when the game had already been decided. Then, as the 24-year-old guard became more comfortable with his role and new team, he began seeing his minutes increase.

Seeing back-to-back-to-back games with at least 20 minutes in a Suns’ uniform at the start of December, Okogie took advantage of his time on the court, averaging 16.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in this span.

While this was certainly not the case every game, Okogie continued to see his role expand in Phoenix and when the Suns were not only dealing with injuries, but needed a “spark” out on the wing, Josh Okogie delivered, as he averaged 32.6 minutes and 16.1 points per game in February.

“When I miss a shot or two, I didn’t want to shoot the third one, but Coach Monty and my teammates are always pushing me and saying that they believe in me,” Okogie stated. “You know, no matter how many shots I may miss, they want me to keep believing that the next one is going to go in instead of giving the ball up to someone else. When you have your teammates, your coaches and your front-office believing in you like that, it’s hard not to succeed.”

Playing in 72 games during the regular season, the most games he has played in since his rookie season in the league, Josh Okogie ended up starting in 26 games and averaged 7.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting a career-best 33.5 percent from three-point range.

His numbers may not be eye-popping or lead his team, but Okogie has played his role in Phoenix to perfection and very quickly turned himself into a player the organization trusts, especially on the defensive-end of the floor.

“They kind of told me that they wanted someone to be able to come off-the-bench and not only be a backup for Booker, but someone who could provide more defense off-the-bench,” Okogie explained. “I’ve always taken pride in the effort I have given defensively and my main goal was to come into Phoenix and try to impact winning to the best of my abilities. Whatever role they needed me in, I was willing to accept if it helped further the team’s chances of winning.”

Finishing the regular season with a 45-37 record, the Suns ended up with the 4-seed in the Western Conference, drawing a first-round matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Heading into Game 3 on Wednesday night, this series is all knotted up at one game apiece and the stars have shown up to play with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard all having big-time scoring performances through the first two games of the series.

Okogie only played in seven minutes in the Suns’ Game 1 loss at home to the Clippers, but in Game 2, he played 15 minutes in his role off the bench, recording 7 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.

“For me, every day is just about me asking myself, 'How can I help my team win each individual game?' I know people say it’s series-to-series, but for me, it’s game-to-game because I know my role may not be the same every night, especially in the postseason,” Okogie explained. “I’m feeling good and I’m willing to do whatever is needed of me to help us win games, regardless of the minutes I see and no matter if I have to sacrifice anything. When my number is called, I will be ready to go and I’m going to give my team everything I have.”

As the Suns and Clippers prepare for Game 3 in Los Angeles, both teams continue to look for advantages they may have over one another. There is a very good chance that this series could be extended six to seven games, which is why others outside of the superstars will need to step up.

The good news for Phoenix is that they have versatility, they have two of the best scorers in the league and they have a guy in Josh Okogie who can not only defend at a high-level on the perimeter, but get going in terms of three-point shooting and rebounding at any moment!

“I feel like our passion to play both ends is unmatched. We got guys who can score in so many different ways, but we also have a handful of guys who take pride in guarding on the defensive-end of the floor as well. You have to have balance to be a great team in this league and at the end of the day, we all believe in one another and that’s all that matters.

“We believe we have what it takes to win it all and nobody else’s opinion on that matters.”