What A Difference A Year Makes For Jahlil Okafor

Since arriving in Philadelphia, Jahlil Okafor has been unable to shake the rumors of being traded, “not fitting”, and a need to improve defensively. But this year could make all the difference in the world

Jahlil Okafor has been the eye of the hurricane in Philadelphia for over a year. On one side, his talent and potential are undeniable. He led the Philadelphia 76ers team in scoring despite playing just 53 games.  He dominated the center position against lesser talent, and held his own against the NBA’s best.

And he did it at the age of 19, and as an NBA rookie.

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I’ll be honest folks. At 19, I was still uncertain what I wanted to do with my life.  But Jahlil Okafor has not only set his path towards the future, he has excelled at it. And he did it while adapting to his own strengths and his team’s needs.  Oftentimes they aligned well, sometimes they did not.

Much of the debate of the Philadelphia 76ers big men is based on what they did in the 2015-2016 season.  However, that truly is not fair to either players or to the team.

As much as I loved what former president Sam Hinkie did for the Philadelphia 76ers, he truly dealt head coach Brett Brown a lousy roster for last season.  Almost like a game of chicken, or more symbolically, a game of lambada, the team entered the season with youth, inexperience, and injury.  The player who was expected to carry that team?  Jahlil Okafor.

And he did it at the age of 19, and as an NBA rookie.