The Charlotte Hornets lost their Portland Trail Blazers matchup on Friday even before it began. LaMelo Ball was a late scratch. So, in addition to his revenge game for the All-Star snub having to wait, the Hornets had to play without their two leading scorers, as Brandon Miller is already out for the rest of the 2024-25 campaign.
Miles Bridges also had to miss the contest because of a bad back, leaving Charlotte starved for offense. The tiff was the Blazers to lose, especially since they had won their three previous meetings. However, they had to work hard for their 102-97 victory, as the Hive surprisingly put up a fight.
Every starter scored in double-digits, except Cody Martin, who had to rest early after just five minutes of action. But in a surprising turn of events, it was a new Hornet, Josh Okogie, who was arguably the squad's best performer. He notched 16 points and a team-high 10 rebounds off the bench.
Okogie showcased his defensive prowess
It wasn't a pretty night for Okogie, for sure, as he went just 3-8 from the field and 1-3 from beyond the arc.
On the bright side, he proved why he deserves the moniker "Non-Stop." The 26-year-old vet's motor was evident every second he was on the floor. His aggression helped him get to the line 12 times, sinking nine of them. Okogie became only the fourth Hornets player to make at least 10 trips to the charity stripe in a game, with Ball, Mark Williams, and Nick Richards being the other three.
While the Georgia Institute of Technology product demonstrated how he can contribute on the offensive end, he also showed why defense is his calling card. Blazers players shot a lowly 3-11 against Okogie, equivalent to 27.3 percent. He also added three steals, although one of those interceptions saw him end up in a lowlight reel.
Miscues aside, if the Friday bout was his audition to remain in Charlotte until at least the end of the season, he certainly did a good job. Still, the possibility that Okogie is shipped again will persist until the trade deadline passes. However, the Hornets' top brass has indicated that it would like to hold onto him, and the former first-round pick seems like he wants to stay.
Unless the organization can flip him for a considerable amount of draft capital, it should just keep Okogie and allow him to wreak havoc on defense. And based on his performance against the Blazers, he can also be a solid contributor on the other end of the court.