The Wolves are preparing for a very important game against the Grizzlies on Wednesday night, but on Tuesday evening they were met with a bit of happy news when it was announced that Josh Okogie will be participating in the Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star weekend.
That’s a significant accomplishment for Okogie, who has proven to be a rotational NBA player in his rookie year—that’s not something many guys taken in the back half of the first round of the draft can say.
Being a part of All-Star weekend will give Okogie a chance to be around players who he aspires to be like—a valuable experience for a young player.
“It’s huge, in terms of just experiencing the weekend, in terms of being around players,” said Interim Head Coach Ryan Saunders. “Veterans that have risen to stardom in this league, have done the right things, it’s big to see.”
Okogie has seen most of the players in the NBA on the court, but meeting them on a more personal level will be another thing entirely. Being named to the Rising Stars game is a big first step, it’s proof that Okogie belongs in the NBA.
“Should be fun to try and get to know people on a personal level, see how they act and kind of converse with them,” Okogie said.
While the trip to Charlotte wasn’t in Okogie’s plans initially, it’s not too far from his hometown Atlanta, and he knows people in Charlotte—something that will make the game more special. However, the game will present a unique challenge—for a player like Okogie who has built his style on intensity and defense, the more relaxed pace of All-Star weekend could be a challenge.
“It’s definitely interesting. I have to find a way to not play so hard I guess,” he joked. “We’ll see, I might just look like the odd one out there.”
Okogie knows that this honor is just a first step—he’s still trying to work on his game every day and grow into the player that he and the Wolves know he can become.
“I feel like my game has grown a lot but I still have a long way to go. I think my biggest step is to slow down and kind of see the game, but I talk to my teammates about it a lot to try and help me but they say that stuff just kind of comes with just playing and learning from your mistakes and numerous hours in the film room, so I just got to stay patient and keep finding a way to get better every single day.”
The Wolves are also trying to improve each day, and they have another basketball mind in the room now to help them do so. Randy Wittman, who Saunders knows from his time in Washington and who was also an assistant and former coach with the Wolves, will be spending more time with the team on an informal basis.
“Really just an ear for me, another basketball mind to bounce things off of,” Saunders said of Wittman. “I’m comfortable with him, I’ve known him for a long time… He took over in the interim role in Washington when I was there, and how he handled that situation, I thought he handled it great, so having a resource like that, you can never have too many great resources.”
The Wolves face the Grizzlies tonight at 7 p.m. For more on the matchup including where to get tickets if you’re choosing to brave the cold check out our scouting report.