THE FLATS – Recent stellar play has put Josh Okogie in position for a starting role as Suns prepare for Kevin Durant’s debut … Kenny Anderson finds fulfillment coaching at an HBCU with deep history … Jose Alvarado has his high school jersey retired … more in this week’s #ProJackets Report.
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OKOGIE “LOOKING LIKE” FIFTH STARTER AS DURANT MAKES SUNS DEBUT
Josh Okogie kept hoisting and hoisting shots after a lengthy practice with Suns coach Monty Williams and several coaches and staff applauding his effort at Spectrum Center.
Sweating through and through his practice jersey, Okogie was the last player on the court.
On the grind is nothing new for Okogie, but he has worked and played his way into a position to be the fifth starter with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton.
“I feel like I’m a starter in the NBA,” Okogie said. “That’s why I work the way I do. Here, the opportunity presented itself that I would be starting. So my job is to make sure that I can solidify that and hopefully stay here.”
In his last six games, with the last five being starts, Okogie is averaging 18.5 points on 53.4% shooting and 5.8 rebounds.
The athletic 6-4 guard with the 7-foot wingspan, who Phoenix signed to a one-year deal last summer, is shooting 48.6% from 3 (18-of-37) during this six-game stretch.
And Okogie has done all of this wearing a protective mask after having his nose broken from an inadvertent elbow from Ayton in a game Jan. 16 at Memphis.
A major question has been who will be the fifth starter with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton.
Who is the last one leaving the court?
Monty Williams has said Okogie or Torrey Craig will get the start partly based on matchups. #Suns pic.twitter.com/NDBuE9GBZq
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) February 28, 2023
Josh Okogie in 6 games since becoming a starter:
18.5 PPG with 6 RPG and 2 SPG
53% FG and 49% 3PT
Perfect 5th starter
This is a no-brainer… pic.twitter.com/Zv5RS42XcY— Vincent 🔅 (@VincentKeyes1) March 1, 2023
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OKOGIE’S CAREER-BEST STRETCH COULD EARN HIM BIG SPOT IN SUNS’ PLAYOFF ROTATION
But the shining light of the Suns development program might be Josh Okogie, a 24-year old washout from the Minnesota Timberwolves, who had to accept a minimum-salary contract this past summer after his $11 million, 4 year rookie contract expired.
The 6’4”, 213 pound Okogie is incredibly athletic and physical, blessed with a 7-foot wingspan and the motor to be one of the best defensive players in the league. But his offense was so non-existent — damaging even — that he simply couldn’t stay on the floor for a Wolves team that needed all kinds of defensive help to shore up the deficiencies of stars Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell. And they just let him go after the season.
Okogie was at best a mildly interesting add to the Suns roster last summer. The Suns had no ready spot for a shooting guard who couldn’t shoot in their rotation.
More from Bright Side of the Sun
https://youtu.be/RXIp7P-28iE
https://youtu.be/jcWRWcvT3AU
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KENNY ANDERSON NYC HOOPS LEGEND, FINDS FULFILLMENT AT HBCU
Kenny Anderson walked north along the main pathway through the campus of Fisk University, amid buildings that represent some of this city’s most important moments, toward the dormitories, where a recruit and his parents were supposed to meet him.
But wait. Were the dorms supposed to be later? Anderson stopped, sighed and pulled out his phone. Short-term memory loss is a lasting effect, a likely permanent one, of the massive stroke he suffered in February 2019 and the smaller stroke he had about 14 months later.
The list of complaints beyond that is short. Anderson, 52, is where he wants to be. He hasn’t done much winning since Fisk hired him to be its men’s basketball coach in the fall of 2018, and he hasn’t made much money — relative, at least, to the more than $63 million he earned in a 14-year NBA career and to the salaries of college basketball coaches at higher levels.
NAIA coaches typically sweep their gym floors, wash their uniforms and need multiple years to reach six figures. Anderson’s name did not award him a higher salary than the norm when Fisk hired him, and his practices start at 6 a.m. because class schedules at Fisk don’t adjust for athletics.
But this job is what he saw in it, fulfillment in a journey through missteps that have played out in public and trauma he no longer needs to keep private. Certainly, they are linked, as therapy, a near-death experience and his wife of 16 years, Natasha, have helped him see.
This is a fantastic story about one of my favorite humans, @chibbs_1. The young men at Fisk University are fortunate to have Kenny as their coach.https://t.co/65cAUqOkxh
— Michael Dolan (@mikedolanny) March 1, 2023
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ALVARADO’S HIGH SCHOOL COACH TALKS ABOUT HIS SUCCESS
On the latest Pelicans Podcast presented by SeatGeek, Joe Cardosi and Jim Eichenhofer speak to Jose Alvarado’s high school basketball coach, Joe Arbitello of Christ the King High School (10:10). Coach Arbitello discusses retiring Jose’s high school jersey number, the local reaction to Jose’s success, and how he applies the lessons of Jose’s success at each level to the kids he coaches.
It’s jersey retirement day for Jose Alvarado at Christ the King. pic.twitter.com/OOddiZZMNm
— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) February 25, 2023
Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado discussed how he developed his signature steal and became “Grand Theft Alvarado.” Plus, the toughest part of his NBA journey before getting his jersey retired at Christ the King High School and winning Rising Stars MVP.
👉🏼 https://t.co/sWyLqVnl2r pic.twitter.com/Jgl8EYCdQa
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) March 1, 2023
This kid is a true loyal Royal. Congrats @AlvaradoJose15 and thank you for the support tonight. pic.twitter.com/JdGJwAOK5j
— Joe Arbitello (@ctkcoachjarbs) February 25, 2023
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