Jul 14, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center
Jahlil Okafor(8) holds the ball away from New York Knicks forward
Alex Kirk(53) during an NBA Summer League game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Jahlil Okafor (C/PF, Philadelphia 76ers)
Jahlil Okafor was a highly touted prospect from his high school days, and that only continued as he led the Duke Blue Devils to the 2015 National Championship. Many still believe that he should have been the first overall selection in the NBA Draft simply because of his NBA-ready offensive game. For whatever reason though, he dropped down to No. 3 and the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 76ers have been in a rebuild mode for a number of years now and they’ve been searching far and wide for a core of young burgeoning stars to build around. Their search has led them to select three consecutive big men with early draft selections (Nerlens Noel was selected by the Pelicans in 2013 and traded to the 76ers for Jrue Holiday). Noel sat out his rookie season, but last year was an impact player for the Sixers as a solid rebounder and shot blocking presence. Joel Embiid, Philly’s 2014 first-round pick, will now sit out his second straight full season as a result of yet another surgery on his foot.
Okafor will most likely be slotted as the power forward or center in Philadelphia’s starting lineup. He’ll provide the low post offense while his frontcourt mate, Noel, provides the interior presence on the other end of the floor. Okafor will see a lot of playing time this season if the roster holds its current landscape.
Okafor will certainly struggle this season. He is one of few scorers that the 76ers have, and the only one on the low block, so teams will put their strongest post defenders on him and test his playmaking ability early with frequent double teams.
At season’s end though, Okafor will likely be one of the front runners for the Rookie of the Year award. His sizable minutes will result in similarly gaudy numbers for a rookie. The lack of talent around him means he’ll see a lot of touches over the course of the season and even with a heightened level of defense around him, Okafor will manage to score consistently because of his polished offensive game.
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