Made 14 three-pointers in 8 games, with a shooting percentage of over 50%! The Rockets sharpshooter is on the rise, does Stone need to pay more to retain people?

If a player only earns a basic salary, does not occupy the ball or steal credit in the game, and has a strong three-point shooting ability and very good defensive ability, then such a player will definitely be the target that many teams want to sign. This is the case for 27-year-old swingman Okogie. He signed a one-year basic salary contract of 3.1 million with the Rockets this offseason. At that time, the Rockets did not take Okogie too seriously. Many experts believed that it might be difficult for Okogie to enter the rotation. He would need to compete with substitute forwards such as Finney Smith, Ethan, Tate, and Jeff Green. Okogie's performance last season was very average, and it was difficult for him to have a chance to enter the Rockets' rotation.

However, things have turned around and the Rockets have encountered serious injuries this season. In addition to VanVleet's season reimbursement, Finney Smith has been recovering from injury and has not played in any games. The Rockets' Tate also missed many games due to injury, so the Rockets' Okogie became the target of Uduka's reuse, giving Okogie a chance. The 27-year-old guard can indeed produce good performance and statistics. Whether in the preseason or in the regular season, Okogie is the Rockets' most stable shooter and outside defender.

Rockets coach Udoka saw that the big lineup was not working, and immediately changed the starting lineup, removed Adams from the starting lineup, and placed the 27-year-old Okogie in the starting shooting guard position. After 8 games, Okogie's performance is quite good. As the starting shooting guard, he averaged 23 minutes per game, contributing 9.3 points, 2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and one steal. His shooting percentage was 52.8%, and his three-point shooting percentage reached 52.2%. He is now one of the best shooters in the Rockets and even in the entire league.

Not only is Okogie's three-point accuracy accurate, his free throw shooting rate has also reached 83%, which is a breath of fresh air among the Rockets who have a low free throw shooting rate. Okogie has now become the Rockets' most reliable shooter and perimeter defender. Speaking of three-pointers, we have seen 8 regular season games. Although the Rockets have a record of 5 wins and 3 losses, Okogie's performance in the starting lineup is top-notch. He does not look like a basic salary player at all. In particular, Okogie's three-point shooting percentage of more than 50% made Uduka fall in love with him.

The Rockets have many sharpshooters emerging this season. In addition to Okogie, there are also Shepard and Ethan, both of whom have a three-point shooting rate of over 40%. For Okogie, he chose to join the Rockets with a minimum salary, which was actually the right choice. Because the Rockets lack guards here, Okogie can get a lot of performance opportunities. Furthermore, the Rockets are a top team, and being able to produce good statistics here will be very helpful for him to get a big contract in the future, which is much more useful than going to a weak team to increase statistics.

Now, Okogie has performed as a marksman in 8 games. Then one year later, when Okogie's contract expires, he will definitely ask for a big contract from the Rockets. In other words, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone can only keep Okogie by adding more money, otherwise he is likely to leave the Rockets to chase the next big contract. Judging from Okogie's performance this season, it shouldn't be a big problem for him to get a contract with an annual salary of about 8 million.