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Minnesota Timberwolves: Josh Okogie rookie recap

By James Grieco

TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: Josh Okogie #20 of the Minnesota Timberwolves poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: Josh Okogie #20 of the Minnesota Timberwolves poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

While the stats don’t bear it out, rookie Josh Okogie has been a blessing for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Minnesota Timberwolves selected the Nigerian-born Josh Okogie with the 20th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. About a week before last year’s draft, this NBA.com profile highlighted the Georgia Tech standout by noting:

"“Okogie is a disruptor. He’s a big, athletic, shooting guard who doesn’t back down from competition, plays hard every possession, and takes defense personally … he understands defensive schemes, and he’s a smart help defender with shot-blocking ability … The big question with Okogie is how effectively his offense, especially his 3-point shooting, will translate to the next level.”"

As is often the case with rookies, their scouting reports prove prophetic through at least their first season in the league. Okogie, who has wowed Timberwolves fans with his defense and athleticism despite leaving much to be desired on offense, has certainly performed how many expected he would upon entering the league.

Offensive rawness aside, the 20-year-old has surprisingly been one of the few consistent players on the Wolves this season. Between the rash of injuries, the near disappearance of one Andrew Wiggins and whatever is going on in Dario Saric‘s headspace, Okogie has routinely stepped up and made watching Timberwolves basketball less excruciating than it typically has been over the years.

I certainly don’t want to pump too much helium into Okogie’s stock, as advanced stats hate his season — his Player Efficiency Rating is well below-average at just 9.42 and his Value Over Replacement Player is almost nonexistent at 0.1 — but anyone who has watched him play enough this year knows he is going to be making winning plays in this league for a long time.

With that, let’s get into the pros, cons and face-palms of Josh Okogie’s rookie season.

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