Rockets get last laugh as player Hornets brutally axed is thriving in Houston

Sometimes it pays to not be a star. I know that sounds strange, but it's the situation Josh Okogie is living right now. Okogie — who is on a one-year, veterans minimum deal with the Rockets — is the forgotten man on opposing scouting reports, as Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson are more front of mind.

Okogie is using that relative anonymity to his advantage. He wasn't expected to be much of a contributor at all to this Rockets team, so any production he gives is a bonus — and he's giving plenty of production, especially on the defensive end, where the Rockets are great again, currently posting the No. 7 defensive rating in the league.

Okogie is also shooting nearly 50% from 3-point range, and considering he's a 30% career shooter from outside, I'll venture to say that will come down; but the defensive intensity has been a staple of Okogie's career so far, and I don't see that changing even when the shot comes back to Earth.

The 27 year-old has won over his teammates, fans, and the coaching staff, and has become an integral part of the Rockets' phenomenal start. With Dorian Finney-Smith injured, Okogie has filled a need and made the most of an opportunity with the Rockets after being unceremoniously waived by a Hornets team that could really use his defensive talent right now.

Sucks for them!

Josh Okogie found a much better situation after being waived by Hornets

I don't want to pile on the Hornets too badly here; they've been through enough... Well, actually, most of the things they've been through are self-inflicted, so I actually do want to pile on. There's a reason bad teams stay bad in the NBA, and the Hornets waiving a defensive-minded hustler like Okogie is a microcosm of why they're consistently in the NBA's gutter.

But the Rockets aren't complaining. They signed Okogie on a no-risk veteran's minimum deal, and it's already paying massive dividends. These are the kind of wins that elite teams need to have in between the margins if they want to be a consistent contender, and Rockets fans should rejoice that their team is finding that talent.

Moves like signing Josh Okogie seem obvious after the fact. He was a promising young player in Minnesota not that long ago. But if it's so obvious, why didn't any other team make it happen? Teams often overthink free agents, especially guys who have bounced around the league a little and were then let go by struggling teams. Not overthinking Josh Okogie has proved to be a savvy decision by the Rockets.