Philadelphia 76ers: Five Players To Be Excited About

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Nov 26, 2014; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Jahlil Okafor (15) goes up to block the shot of Furman Paladins guard John Davis III (1) at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports

Jahlil Okafor is our last player to look at here. This last one is obvious. Why wouldn’t there be excitement surrounding the third overall pick in the NBA draft? Especially in his first few weeks, fans will be eager to see what he can do and how he can help turn this team around.

He did well in college, leading the Duke Blue Devils to a national championship in just his first year at the school. While I typically am a fan of players staying longer in school, Jah seems ready to move on, and ready to take on the role of an NBA player. I do have my doubts about him being a right away leader, but that doesn’t mean I’m not excited to see him play.

His 17.3 points per game will be tough to replicate in the NBA. Although there’s more time in every game, it’s extremely hard to do much above 15 points per game as a rookie in the NBA. Some players have a tough time transitioning from college to the NBA, especially on offense.

Another area I’m eager to see from Jahlil is his defense. He was highly criticized in college about his defensive mindset, which often came off as lazy. When it would’ve been easy for Okafor to jump and contest shots, or move around a bit more to make it more difficult for opposing teams to run their offense, he seemed to lazily stay around the same spot.

Sure, Okafor is coming in with his flaws, but so is any rookie. We’re happy to have him on the team, and we’re excited to see what he can do to help contribute to this rebuild. If anything, his powerful offense will be a great attribute of the team next year, something to get our hopes up for.

Next: Were The Sixers Snubbed By Team USA?

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