{"id":165088,"date":"2025-10-31T13:15:31","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T17:15:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=165088"},"modified":"2025-10-31T13:15:31","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T17:15:31","slug":"did-rockets-hokey-okogie-adjustment-turn-things-around","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/10\/31\/did-rockets-hokey-okogie-adjustment-turn-things-around\/","title":{"rendered":"Did Rockets’ Hokey-Okogie Adjustment Turn Things Around?"},"content":{"rendered":"

They put one wing in, one big out, should the league be shaking all about? The Houston Rockets have started veteran forward Josh Okogie<\/a> in their last two games, both wins. Is the departure from head coach Ime Udoka\u2019s preferred double big lineup a long-term solution? Or has the O(k)ogie-Boogie man been unleashed just for the Halloween season?<\/p>\n

Did Rockets’ Hokey-Okogie Adjustment Turn Things Around?<\/h2>\n

Okogie as a Starter<\/h3>\n

Okogie’s first start with Houston came against the Brooklyn Nets<\/a>. He played 30 minutes, scored 10 points, played physical defense, made two three-pointers, and was a +11. Udoka stuck with him versus the Raptors<\/a>, and he put on a similar performance: 23 minutes, 10 points, 2 threes, +6. His ability to actually connect on the wide-open threes the offense generates for him has been a major boon.<\/p>\n

The clues were there even in preseason. Apparently, Okogie\u2019s 28 points on 8-15 shooting against the Hawks<\/a> should have been the bigger takeaway than Reed Sheppard<\/a>\u2019s 29 points after all. Most importantly, Okogie shot 2-5 from three in that game. In the regular season, since joining the starting lineup, Okogie is actually 4-5 from deep.<\/p>\n

Even while missing their starting point guard<\/a>, the Rockets have an extremely potent offensive engine<\/a> in the partnership between Alperen Sengun<\/a> and Kevin Durant<\/a>. The point isn’t even really to give those two more spacing. They don’t need it, and even with far better shooters around them than Okogie, they probably wouldn’t get it. Sengun and Durant are simply too lethal to guard one-on-one. Defenses will elect to crowd them. The Rockets just need players who will take the open threes and occasionally make them.<\/p>\n