Nov 14, 2015; San Antonio, TX, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center
(L) and San Antonio Spurs center
(R) battle for the ball on the floor during the second half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Philadelphia 76ers Will Save Jahlil, Duke Fans
A fate worse than death. Placing one of the most gifted talents to enter the NBA onto a team that cannot win for losing, whose #TrustTheProcess mantra falls on deaf ears to the alumni of Duke University. You see, center Jahlil Okafor is one of their own, beloved and honored as a representative of the University of Duke Blue Devils, and they take care of their own. From the moment the Philadelphia 76ers selected their center, there has been a relationship between the fans of the Blue Devils, and the fans of the Sixers.
We share a bond, or rather, Jahlil Okafor.
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So it comes as no surprise to me that the creative and talented minds at theDukenation.com and Duke In the NBA have created a 30 second video highlighting the struggles of the Philadelphia 76ers team .
The video in the tweet is powerful stuff, and it’s clear that this Philadelphia 76ers team is as raw as raw can be in the NBA. The Philadelphia 76ers are a worst case scenario for a young potential star of the NBA. This is a young team filled with new faces, little experience, lacking veteran presence, is placed lock stock and barrel under the tutelage of one man – head coach Brett Brown. This team is unfamiliar with one another, but began the season with so many injuries that the team exercised the 16th man exemption rule of the NBA. Each player needs personalized attention. Each player is placing as much effort as they can to improving and learning about themselves and their teammates. Each day is one more experience, one more practice, one more training session, and one more game, and one more loss.
The team is losing, and the University of Duke fans aren’t happy about it. Just for the record, we are not happy about it. We’ve grown accustomed to it. We keep a perspective about it. We have been standing in the dark long enough that we can plainly see the light at the end of the tunnel. Your eyes are still adjusting, and we get that. So let me describe what I see to help dissuade your concerns, and perhaps even convert those concerns into tempered hope and enthusiasm.
Next: NBA Means
Nov 9, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; The Philadelphia 76ers logo on the warm up shirt of center Jahlil Okafor (not pictured) prior to action against the Chicago Bulls at Wells Fargo Center. The Bulls won 111-88. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
NBA Means National Budget Association.
In collegiate basketball, speed is relative. The team itself can be entirely made up of first or second year talent, the head coach is also the head recruiter, and the team is facing two seasons. First season is the regular season. But the real season is the second season, the NCAA invitational tournament. In one season, a player’s entire NBA career can be projected, planned, and laid out. The stakes are very high. Win and you’re in – the money. Lose and you’re out – of the money.
So the perspective in college is winning and yesterday. The basis of long term planning is giving a player some looks at a new position because the starter of that position has declared for the NBA draft.
But in the Philadelphia 76ers time frame, time is slower. We don’t measure time by a second hand on the clock, but by months on the calendar. How many months will Tony Wroten Jr. be out? How many months until the 2016 NBA Draft? You see, we contract with players for three or four years at a time. Players who arrive in the NBA will not step into a new uniform and take over the game like the NCAA. In the pros, they need teamwork.
The NBA has governors in place to keep the pace of teams in check. First of all, they have a salary cap. The NCAA has no salary for players, so teams can load up with the nation’s finest talent without penalty. In the NBA, to load up on the finest talent, you would need to pay top dollar to that team. Those top dollars run out quickly in an effort to field a 15 player roster. So you balance a team with top tier talent and round out the roster for value players. To win championships, you need both components. To synchronize both components, you must budget your time, your money, your draft, and your free agency.
Next: Cavalry Is Coming
Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Dario Saric (Croatia) reacts after being selected as the number twelve overall pick to the Orlando Magic in the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The Cavalry Is Coming
In today’s world, everything is judged by time, with the slower events falling into the “that’s bad” category. But some things take time, and rightfully so.
Center Jahlil Okafor was drafted as the best player available for the Philadelphia 76ers, which at the time the center spot was a position of strength for the Sixers. Nerlens Noel worked hard in the off-season to develop shots and skills to migrate to the power forward role, and Joel Embiid simply remained injured, paving the way for the team to fall to Okafor for this season. But Jahlil Okafor had areas of improvement as well, his defense. It was the concern of the Los Angeles Lakers about that defense that allowed him to fall to the Philadelphia 76ers. But so far, he is learning how to block and rebound wonderfully.
Jahlil Okafor is a bright star in the future of the NBA, but he is not alone in becoming recognized for excellent play as a rookie. His teammate, T.J. McConnell has also been recognized for his performance as a point guard.
But this season is only the first stop on the journey. In the 2016 NBA draft, the Sixers will be drafting five new players. The 2015-2016 will also give plenty of time for the Sixers to develop undrafted players, as well as set the team up for the return of Dario Saric and Joel Embiid.
In 2016, European Dario Saric will return to the NBA, and bring his versatility with him. He can line up at either the small forward or power forward, and excels in both looks in Europe. He’s got nice arsenal of shots, can work the ball or the boards, and is that ‘duct tape” which the 76ers need so desperately right now. This is a clip of some highlights.
If you aren’t willing to believe that he will return to the NBA, then consider the Sixers are currently projecting to draft in two of the top five NBA picks in the 2016 draft. In addition, first round selection Joel Embiid will finally make his NBA debut in the 2016-2017 season.
So yeah, learning to handle defeat like a champion may be something which the Duke basketball program does not emphasize. But sacrificing to achieve victory oftentimes requires placing immediate gratification to the side in the belief that greater success can be found later.
Next: Sixers Fall To Celtics 84-80
I believe this season, painful as it is, serves its purpose. When the team tastes the sweetness of true NBA success, the lessons and camaraderie of this early challenge will remain meaningful. You see, to truly understand the meaning of being at the top, you must understand the work to get there, and the meaning at the bottom. He who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.
In the long run, the Philadelphia 76ers may be saving Jahlil Okafor after all.