Has Suns Forward Earned Bigger Role?

The Suns wing has impressed over the last week.

Nov 15, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Josh Okogie (2) shoots over Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- The 2024-25 Phoenix Suns are officially encountering adversity for the first time this season.

Between missing multiple key players due to injury, facing a cold shooting spell from many members of the team, and running into teams that are playing some phenomenal basketball - Phoenix has officially suffered the first losing streak of its young season after falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The bright spot of this last week - despite facing ample challenges - is quite inarguably the jolt of energy that third-year Suns forward Josh Okogie has provided.

Okogie has been a key player in three games in the last week and has clearly made the most of the opportunity given. But what has worked for the dynamic wing so far? Is this stretch of play actually sustainable knowing what is out there pertaining to his previous sample of play in the Valley?

What Has Worked

First off, Okogie has largely been the same player this season that he has his entire career.

JOSH OKOGIE POSTER SLAM 🚨 pic.twitter.com/Uywpt6cRNQ

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) November 9, 2024

The Georgia Tech product is a fearless slasher, has no problem crashing the glass against those with bigger frames, and playing physical defense at the point of attack.

None of that has changed.

The main difference so far is the veteran forward hitting 42.9% of three-point looks on 2.9 attempts per game since returning to play last Friday.

Okogie simply seems more confident on the floor - and that is something that is truly inquantifiable. but the scope Mike Budenholzer's influence on the roster at-large may not be an overstatement.

Is This Sustainable?

It's difficult to say. Fellow wing and Suns' first-round pick from this year's draft in Ryan Dunn has cooled down substantially from three-point range since a blazing start that saw the Virginia product shooting north of 44% from downtown in a small sample.

The simple truth is the majority of role players tend to go through ebbs-and-flows of the season much more turbulently compared to stars - and that's totally okay.

Role players are meant to largely be pigeonholed into a specific responsibility within the context of the team - that's what makes Okogie's performances in the last week all the more impressive, as he is going above and beyond without the infrastructure around him that should theoretically maximize what he can bring to the table.

Now, is the three-point shooting sustainable? Probably not, as we have a 130 game sample of Okogie shooting right around 32% from beyond the arc - but that doesn't mean the 6'4" wing can't continue to do magnify what he does well while also attempting to remain a serviceable shooter.

Can Okogie Earn Consistent Role?

The question that is now being asked more and more.

It's extremely difficult to say, as Okogie didn't get much of a shot to make a statement in preseason play due to a hamstring injury that sidelined him for nearly a month - but it feels like there are three definitive outcomes that could come out of this.

• Okogie plays well enough to garner trade interest and the Suns are able to move him for an upgrade elsewhere.

• Okogie plays well enough to earn matchup-based rotational spot next to Dunn.

• Okogie remains spark-plug option that could receive minutes as needed.

Only time will tell which one actually materializes, but don't be shocked if one of the first two scenarios is the one that comes about.

Okogie is a quality NBA player simply due to his fearless nature, physical brand of play, and heads-up instincts - and the rest of the league could very well be paying close attention moving ahead.