NBA: 10 players facing make or break seasons in 2017-18

Jahlil Okafor, C, Philadelphia 76ers

I don’t know if there is a player who should of been traded more times than Okafor. Somehow Okafor has survived constant trade rumors and remains with the Sixers going into his third year. With all the new young talent in Philadelphia like Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and Markelle Fultz, Okafor has become an afterthought. Something that is hard to do for a 3rd overall pick, who has only played two seasons. In 53 games as a rookie, Okafor immediately showed promise on the offensive end. He posted numbers of 17.5 points, 7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.

The problem was he was a disaster on defense and could not pass at all on offense. In year two things got worse. He fell behind Embiid in the rotation, and did not progress. His minutes dropped from 30 a game to 22 a game. Overall his numbers fell to 11.8 points and 4.8 rebounds a game. His PER dropped from 17.1 to 14.8.

Conditioning, awful defense, the rise of Embiid and immaturity all led to the regression. Now going into year 3, Okafor has survived the trade rumors for now, and is projected as Embiid’s back up. It is up to Okafor to accept the role as a reserve and thrive in it. As a backup skilled big, there are few better than Okafor. He has the talent to have the second unit offense run through him. Okafor can post up, face up and finish around the basket with either hand.

Last year, despite the down year, he shot 51 percent from the field with a 54.6 true shooting percentage. Now, if he can play defense with a consistent motor and be at least passable, he will get his minutes back up even if he doesn’t start. Then, he will boost his trade value and possibly get a starting gig elsewhere. If his defense is still atrocious, he will be glued to the bench and be nothing more than a reserve big. This is no doubt a huge season for Okafor’s career.