After a year-long delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Summer Olympics are back and about to begin in Tokyo, Japan. Most NBA fans will be focusing on the soap opera that is Team USA, but for Minnesota Timberwolves fans, allegiances will be split between Team USA, Spain, Argentina, and Nigeria.
There are four Wolves battling it out for Olympic gold: Ricky Rubio and Juan Hernangomez representing Spain, everyone’s summer obsession Leandro Bolmaro will be lighting it up for Argentina, and Josh Okogie is a key cog for a Nigeria team that beat Team USA last week in an exhibition game.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Josh Okogie ready for a breakout at Tokyo Olympics
Okogie, born in Lagos, Nigeria before his family moved to the United States when he was a child, has had an up-and-down three years in the NBA since the Wolves selected him with the No. 20 pick the 2018 NBA Draft.
The Georgia Tech product has established himself as Minnesota’s premier perimeter defender but has struggled to improve his offensive game as a pro.
In his first three seasons, Okogie is averaging 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 40.3 percent from the field and just 27.3 percent from 3-point range. He’s still only 22 years old but has been passed over in the pecking order by younger potential stars Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels, and newer acquisitions D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley have cut into his playing time, too.
The Olympics are a huge opportunity for Okogie. He’s one of the best players on a Nigerian team that has a chance to shock the world and compete for a medal. A good showing at the Olympics could help Okogie take another step towards becoming a winning role player in the NBA.
When Okogie entered the NBA in 2018, the Wolves were coming off their first playoff appearance in 14 seasons. He was a 20-year-old kid playing with Karl-Anthony Towns, Jimmy Butler, and Andrew Wiggins while under the watchful eye of Tom Thibodeau. He was never expected to be the guy and was given plenty of rope to find his role.
Now, as one of the most talented players for Team Nigeria, Okogie may not have to entirely carry the team scoring-wise, but if he plays poorly, they have little chance to win.
The mindset changes when you’re one of the players that teams game plan to beat. In the NBA, Okogie can drift in and out of games, grab a steal here, make a hustle play there, and sit in the corner on offense while more talented players like Towns and Russell go to work. With Nigeria, Okogie will be forced to be more involved and find ways to impact every play.
In the Olympics, Okogie will get more touches, have the ball in his hands, and have to become a playmaker on offense and defense. Most importantly, he will finally be forced to be a team leader, which is important for his future growth with the Timberwolves.
Okogie is already a leader and an important voice in the community. Since moving to Minnesota, and especially over the last year, Okogie has been active in campaigning for social justice and change alongside some of his teammates. Now he can take that experience to the court and become a vocal leader on a young team that needs all the stability and leadership it can get.
It’s an important season for Okogie. He’s on the last year of his rookie contract and is coming off of arguably his worst season in the NBA.
Last season Okogie missed six games early in the year with a hamstring injury. After returning, he struggled with his shot and wavered in and out of the lineup before former head coach Ryan Saunders was fired in February. Under Chris Finch, Okogie shot 45.7 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from three.
He’s now the second longest-tenured Timberwolf and expected to step up for a talented young team with future playoff aspirations.
Josh Okogie will be one of the leaders for his home country in the fast upcoming Olympic games, and hopefully, that will translate into making the leap island becoming a team leader for the Timberwolves in Year Four of his career.