NBA: 10 relative unknowns entering defining seasons in 2019-20

7. Josh Okogie, Minnesota Timberwolves

Josh Okogie got a trial by fire as a rookie last season. He was supposed to learn his trade behind Jimmy Butler, but when Butler nope’d out and demanded a trade, Okogie ended up starting 52 of the 74 games he played.

During that time, he was an absolute mess on offense, shooting just 38.6 percent from the field and 27.9 from long range. His cover-your-eyes .492 TS% and cringe-inducing minus-0.1 offensive win shares meant that the Timberwolves were playing shorthanded like the Minnesota Wild hockey team whenever they had the ball.

But a funny thing happened on the way to obscurity, namely Okogie emerged as a genuine defensive stopper. There’s a plausible scenario for him where he evolves into a Tony Allen-type of player.

His 0.4 DBPM was so good, in fact, that a guy with negative OWS still managed a positive Value Over Replacement Player, something that only happens when a guy prevents the other team from scoring as well as he himself plays de facto defense for the enemy when his team has the ball.

The challenge for coach Ryan Saunders and his staff will be to develop Okogie’s offensive game while still nurturing that clear defensive talent.

If they can do that, the mood in Minnesota might be “Jimmy who?”