Josh Okogie

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He plays with energy and effort. Every single play, the 20th pick of the 2018 draft brings it.

That couldn’t have been on display more  than in the third quarter against the Rockets on Wednesday night at Target Center.

Okogie threw down a dunk, hit an amazingly tough layup, swiped James Harden (led to a foul on the other end), threw down a huge slam on a leak out and nailed a huge 3-pointer.

And the play that you’ll be talking to your friends about that will likely be on SportsCenter later Wednesday night. . . He ended the stretch with a ridiculous block on last season's MVP. It got the Target Center crowd on its feet and is a likely glimpse into the future of just how special Okogie can be on the defensive side of the ball. 

The Wolves entered the third quarter down 58-52 and exited it up 87-84. A big chunk of that had to do with Okogie. 

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Josh Okogie Is Absolutely Amazing In Third Quarter Stretch Against James Harden

The Timberwolves used the No. 20 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft on Josh Okogie out of Georgia Tech. Here are five things you should know about the newest member of the Timberwolves.

Okogie averaged the second-most steals per game in the ACC. He jumps passing lanes, uses his athleticism to stay in front of his defenders, and absolutely rips the ball away from his competition. He’s a very high-energy and active guy on the court and moves his feet very well. He clearly loves and takes pride in playing defense, something that will endear him right away to Tom Thibodeau and Jimmy Butler. He also will probably develop into a three-position defender down the line. My headline for his prospect profile was “Josh Okogie Wants To Shut Down Your Stars.” I stand by that.  

When you can get rebounding from your guards, it goes a long way in helping finish defensive possessions and earn second-chance opportunities. Okogie averaged 4.0 rebounds per game, 2.3 of them coming on the offensive glass. Okogie uses his athleticism to beat box-outs and get put back baskets. That’s a really nice thing to have in your back pocket. The Wolves were already a good rebounding team last year—having Okogie coming off the bench will only add to that strength.

Some players think they were always destined for greatness, Okogie had to work hard for his chance. Coming out of high school he wasn’t even a consensus top 150 prospect, but his relentless effort in college made him the 20th pick in the NBA Draft! That’s commitment. Okogie won’t listen to the naysayers, and he knows what it means to put in the work to improve. That’s a quality this coaching staff and group of players will really respect.  

4. He’s a freak athlete with long arms and huge hands.

Okogie blew people away at the NBA Draft Combine. He tied for the highest vertical leap in Chicago at 42 inches, and he had the fastest three-quarter court sprint of all prospects—a blazing quick 3.04 seconds. Who had the fastest time last year? Donovan Mitchell. Okogie also has a seven-foot wingspan, big hands, measures 6’4.5 inches, and weighs in at 210lbs. Okogie has the body of an NBA athlete, and he’ll be able to hang with his competition right away.

Okogie shot 38-percent from three-point land at Georgia Tech and averaged 18.2 points per game, good for fourth in the ACC. He also flashed a good midrange game off of pull-up and step-back jumpers and got to the free throw line more times per game (6.8) than any other player in the ACC. Also, keep in mind that Okogie was the focus of the offense at Georgia Tech—with more space to operate in the NBA, he should be able to use his shooting stroke and excellent cutting ability to get easy baskets for the Wolves. 

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Five Things You Should Know About Josh Okogie

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Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves selected guard Josh Okogie from Georgia Tech with the 20th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Okogie, 6-4, averaged 18.2 points and 6.3 rebounds in 36.4 minutes per game as a sophomore last season, ranking fourth in the ACC in scoring, the highest by any Georgia Tech player since 1997-98. The 19-year-old shot 38.2 percent from three (66-of-173) in his two years as a Yellow Jacket, including a 38.0 percent clip last season. He averaged 6.7 rebounds in ACC play, third-best for an ACC guard, and only one player ahead of him was shorter than his 6-4 height (Ky Bowman of Boston College). He grabbed a career-best 16 rebounds at Florida State on Jan. 24, the most ever by a Tech guard in an ACC game. Okogie led the ACC in free throw attempts as a Sophomore, getting to the line 6.8 times per contest.

Over two seasons with the Yellow Jackets, Okogie amassed 1,033 career points, one of six Tech players to ever accomplish the feat by the end of their sophomore season and the most since Matt Harpring’s 1,021 points (1995-96). As a sophomore this past season, he was named to the 2017-18 All-ACC Third Team by the coaches and an Honorable Mention by the media.

Born in Lagos, Nigeria but raised in Georgia, Okogie played for Team USA’s U19 team at the FIBA U19 World Cup, averaging 4.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 13.4 minutes per game.

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Timberwolves Select Guard Josh Okogie with 20th Overall Pick in 2018 NBA Draft

There aren’t many players in the NBA Draft after the lottery who can contribute from Day 1.

That’s not the case with wing Josh Okogie out of Georgia Tech, who the Wolves took with the 20th-overall pick.

Okogie is a strong and physical wing who prides himself on defense, something that isn’t common for many young players. But Okogie isn’t your average 19-year-old.

He should be able to contribute from the get go, especially from the defensive end. At 6’4, 211 pounds, he has the size and strength to battle with NBA players right now. He’s incredibly strong and is in great shape with just 5.2 percent body fat.

This is a player who averaged 18.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals (2nd in ACC) in his sophomore year, two years after not even being a top-150 college recruit. This is a player who is still improving and to go from a not very highly recruited player to an All-ACC Third Team player certainly says something about his work ethic. And if there’s any coach who loves that work ethic, it’s Tom Thibodeau. With that work ethic, likely comes potential.

“The versatility and the fact that he plays both sides of the ball. He shot 38 (percent) from three,” Thibodeau told Timberwolves.com. “He has great length, a seven-foot wingspan and he’s done it at a high level, so we think there’s a big upside to him. Great worker, great kid. We’re looking forward to having him.”

And while Okogie’s defense is certainly appealing, he can contribute plenty offensively. ­He shot 38.2 percent from deep in his two seasons combined at Georgia Tech and finished 10th in the ACC in 2017-18 with a 22.3 player efficiency rating. 

“Just try to be able to be a two-way player, be able to score and be able to defend,” Okogie said on a conference call after the draft. “Be able to just be there for my team and whatever they need.”

With Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins also on the wing, the Wolves have a trio that has pretty high defensive potential heading into 2018-19. Before free agency, it looks like Okogie will have a pretty good opportunity to get minutes for the Wolves and of course, he’s not going to be the same player he was in college right away. But for me, the fact that he was able to come into college not on the radar, and two years later is the No. 20 pick, speaks to how much better Okogie is still going to get. This is a player who prides himself on improvement and hard work, something that will serve him incredibly well at the next level.

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Okogie Will be Able To Help Wolves From Day 1

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Gallery | Josh Okogie

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