Report Jahlil Okafor Surgery Set For Today in Dr. Andrews Neighborhood

Feb 28, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) drives to the basket as Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) defends during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Jahlil Okafor Surgery happening today, and in the neighborhood of renowned Dr. James Andrews

Rookie center/power forward is scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee on Wednesday in Pensacola. Fla., according to Keith Pompey of Philly.com. In his article of March 16, 2016, Pompey indicates that the Philadelphia 76ers had only disclosed that the surgery would occur this week and did not reveal the location.

But he also goes on to reveal that several independent and unnamed sources have confirmed that today, March 16, 2016 is the date of that surgery, and that the location is a medical facility in Pensacola, Florida. While no source has revealed the exact location to me, I am happy to point out the fact that the surgery is being performed in the neighborhood of a clinic owned by world renowned arthroscopic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, who operates the Andrews Orthorpaedics and Sports Medicine center at an affluent suburb of Pensacola, specifically at Gulf Breeze, Florida.

How can I be so sure? Well, the Philadelphia 76ers do not go cheap when they deal with injuries of their star NBA players, having just sent Joel Embiid to Qatar to undergo a vigorous boot camp rehabilitation for his recovering foot surgery. They most certainly will not go cheap on Jahlil Okafor.

Dr. James Andrews became a household name when he performed the surgery to correct Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III’s infamous knee injury . Andrews has established himself as a world leader in knee injuries, and he is often brought in by professional teams to perform the surgeries to athletes.

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Okafor’s season ended long before the knew was the issue. He first sat out after fourth quarter contact with Isaiah Canaan bruised his right shin. That was the loss to Orlando on February 28, 2016.

"“Jah was just trying to set a good screen and I was trying to come off of it,” Canaan explained. “We accidentally ran into each other.”"

Initially, the injury was thought to be a one day absence for Okafor. But his absence lengthened to the point of raising questions of the severity as Sixer Sense Josh Wilson discussed in a recent article. Eventually, the team sought confirmation and scheduled a cat scan. The results were definitive, Jahlil Okafor would need surgery to correct a tear in his Meniscus, a surgery whose recovery would extend beyond the remaining time left in the season.

Okafor’s season ended with his appearing in 53 games, and starting 48. His 17.5 points per game leads the team in scoring, while his 7.0 rebounds per game is second on the team. He also contributed 1.15 blocks per game (third on team), as well as shooting with 50.8% accuracy (fourth best on team).

While the team finishes out the season, there is plenty of speculation as to the future of Jahlil Okafor and the Philadelphia 76ers. Discussing whether the team will entertain offers to move Okafor in light of team bringing both Joel Embiid and Dario Saric to active roster have been exchanged in a recent article as well. Should the team ignore the calls of other NBA teams, Okafor will surely be focusing on his defense this off-season, but will also have an excellent sophomore season in the NBA.

Still, there are thoughts, and so it would not be beyond logical to peek in on center prospects in the NCAA tournament this month. After all, the Philadelphia 76ers seem to end up picking a big man, regardless of the projected needs of the team.

Jahlil Okafor was a surprise bonus to the 2015 Philadelphia 76ers roster. So much of a bonus, in fact, that I expect the team wants to see a lot more of him in a Sixer’s jersey before any long term decisions are made.

Editor’s note: Surgery finally announced officially on tuesday, March 22.

#sixers press release on Jahlil Okafor's surgery, which was performed today by Dr. James Andrew's pic.twitter.com/n2hkwpvpjG
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) March 22, 2016

The rehab of this surgery will also be supervised by Dr. David T. Martin, who is a world renowned expert in the areas of sport science and medicine. Currently, Dr. Martin is in Qatar accompanying Joel Embiid during his rehab at Aspetar Podiatry Clinic.