Minnesota Timberwolves: Josh Okogie is Wolves’ best draft pick since KAT

In an up-and-down season for the Minnesota Timberwolves thus far, but one shining light has been the potential shown by rookie Josh Okogie.

There has been a lot about the Minnesota Timberwolves’ season that has been in flux, including the playing time of rookie first-round pick Josh Okogie.

But despite those stints outside of the rotation, Okogie has shown the flashes of a future star, and could help push the Wolves’ into a playoff spot come spring.

Josh Okogie is the type of rookie that a coach loves to find a way to get onto the floor. He hustles on both ends of the court, has an explosive impact when he enters the game, and lately has been confident with the ball.

It’s no surprise then that Okogie has managed to crack Tom Thibodeau’s notoriously tight rotation as the former Bulls coach is a stickler for defensive effort and Okogie provides that in spades. And with the latest injury to Jeff Teague, Derrick Rose has slid over to point guard, opening up minutes at the two-guard spot for the rookie.

At least on defense, Okogie has seemingly skipped the adjustment period a lot of rookies seem to go through. On offense, his high-scoring effort of 17 points came in just his fifth game.

Now, more to the point, the Wolves’ don’t exactly have the greatest history when it comes to draft picks. Josh Okogie is the only draft pick since KAT that is still on the Wolves’ roster. Excluding the trade that brought Andrew Wiggins to Minnesota and Zach LaVine‘s productive last couple of years for the Wolves, the last draft pick that made a real impact was Ricky Rubio, who was the fifth pick way back in 2009.

You can understand why Wolves’ fans are so excited to see a productive rookie on the court, especially when that rookie was a 20th overall pick.

Is there a chance we may even see Okogie in the dunk contest this year as LaVine was in his rookie year? We’ll see. But if Okogie keeps playing the way he’s playing, he’ll have no trouble cracking the Rising Stars Challenge game

Who knows, Okogie could potentially even make an All-Star roster in a few years time. A big call, sure, but some of the explosive plays that Okogie make as a rookie are far beyond his years. If he continues his current trajectory for years to come, Okogie could blossom into a real star.

Check out this 45 seconds of play for a prime example of Okogie’s hustle on both ends of the court from Monday’s win over Sacramento.

By the way, how good has the mixed lineup of Tyus Jones, Okogie, Robert Covington and Dario Saric been? There’s a few teams in this league that wouldn’t mind having those four as part of their starting lineup.

While Okogie’s weird, up-and-down playing time has suppressed his per-game numbers, eight of Okogie’s 22 appearances have seen him post double digits in scoring. He’s managed three steals on three occasions and 11 rebounds on another night that included five offensive boards.

It’s impossible to question Okogie’s tenacity on the court, as almost every time he has the ball in his hands he has an explosive energy about him. Let’s hope Thibodeau continues to appreciate Okogie’s effort, and we see plenty more of him on the court this season.

Josh Okogie just might be on a trajectory toward stardom. Can he continue on that path with the Wolves this season?