With the Phoenix Suns’ offseason predicated on maintaining their current core, identifying which addition will have the most impact is hard to gauge at this stage.
The Suns lack of major moves has been the cause of criticism among fans, although there’s still plenty of time for something to happen prior to training camp. Their current offseason inclusions are NBA champion Damion Lee, stretch big Jock Landale, defensive specialist Josh Okogie, and young guard Duane Washington Jr. (two-way contract).
Josh Okogie’s defensive prowess could make him the most impactful of the Phoenix Suns’ offseason additions heading into the 2022-23 season.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley has identified ‘every NBA team’s best new weapon’, listing Okogie as the Suns best offseason inclusion.
"“Okogie has the most obvious standout skill (suffocating defense) and therefore probably the clearest path to regular rotation minutes. He also has the most glaring weakness (anything related to scoring), but perhaps playmakers like (Devin) Booker and Chris Paul can coax more production out of him.”"
Defense has always been Okogie’s calling card since being taken with the 20th overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2018. There was hope his offense would come together in the NBA system, but that’s yet to be the case across his four seasons.
The Nigerian’s offense has become so lacklustre that he found himself out of the Timberwolves rotation for large portions of last season, eventually leading to him seeking a fresh start in Phoenix.
Okogie shot 27.9% from deep in his rookie season, a mark that’s proved a career-high so far. Buckley is right, playing alongside Paul and Booker could help the situation, but the questionable shooting mechanics means it’s going to be a tough task regardless.
There’s also the issue of him being counterproductive to what the Suns already have in Torrey Craig. Phoenix now have two players on their roster who’s defense far outweighs their offense, making them almost impossible to play together in various lineups.