Rockets have quietly been vindicated for bold Josh Okogie gamble

The Houston Rockets, so far this season, have overcome the absence of starting point guard Fred VanVleet better than almost anyone thought they would, shifting their rotation into unconventional looks that have resulted in some absolutely dominant offensive performances.

Moreover, the signing of 3-and-D wing Josh Okogie, which many bashed in the offseason considering the team's need for additional backcourt depth, has already paid massive dividends, vindicating the Rockets for an otherwise questionable move in many other contexts.

Okogie, 27, has had a season that is revitalizing his career, and, although his offensive production has taken a dip since the start of the season, his presence as a viable starter for Houston has made a massive difference.

Josh Okogie has been a productive player for the Rockets in spite of expectations

This past offseason, many fans, justifiably, had concerns about the way that the Rockets approached filling out their rotation beyond their blockbuster move for Kevin Durant. While they were highly active on the free agent market, adding Okogie, Clint Capela and Dorian Finney-Smith, there was some criticism about their unwillingness to add another guard to the rotation.

Instead, Houston doubled down on its love for active defenders and stacked their frontcourt, and, while the VanVleet injury exposed some of this lack of depth rather quickly, Okogie's performance this season has allowed their gamble to pay off.

His numbers, on paper, are not all that impressive. Through his first 21 games, he's averaged 6.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and one assists while shooting 40% from beyond the arc.

Yet, he's started 15 of those games at shooting guard, allowing Amen Thompson to take over the point, and, in his minutes, the Rockets have posted an impressive 124.6 offensive rating.

Moreover, his ability to defend the opposing team's best player in stints throughout the course of games has allowed Thompson, at least some of the time, to take on more of the free-floating defensive role that he is accustomed to.

There is a chance that Okogie, as the season goes on, falls out of the starting lineup. Yet, even with the steps that Reed Sheppard has taken recently, Ime Udoka has shown his faith in Okogie by re-installing him to the starting lineup over the past couple of games.

Having a player on a minimum contract who can perform reliably is any team's dream, and, insofar as Okogie has accomplished that this season, Houston's gamble has paid off.