The Sixer Sense
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What A Difference A Year Makes For Jahlil Okafor

By Bret Stuter

Jul 12, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons (25) dribbles the ball during an NBA Summer League game against the Golden State Warriors at Thomas & Mack Center. Golden State won the game 85-77. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 12, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons (25) dribbles the ball during an NBA Summer League game against the Golden State Warriors at Thomas & Mack Center. Golden State won the game 85-77. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 11, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (R) and center Jahlil Okafor (M) greet Detroit Pistons forward Stanley Johnson (L) prior to game action at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 11, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (R) and center Jahlil Okafor (M) greet Detroit Pistons forward Stanley Johnson (L) prior to game action at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

With A Little Help From His Friends

Jahlil Okafor knows what it’s like to arrive to the NBA.  In fact, it’s his experience that will likely prove to be most valuable to Ben Simmons. So it’s encouraging to see that Okafor is getting along with one of his teammates:

But Ben Simmons is just one player. Ultimately, the chemistry must gel of all teammates. So far, it has. The key to fast tracking trust and chemistry is adversity.  Go through tough times with someone, and you become friends for life.  Perhaps the great strategist Hinkie understood that phenomenon, and drove the team to turmoil to artificially generate “esprit de corps”.

In any case, its there. But what will that do?

With the arrival of so many new faces, the team will seek to define what type of team this will be. Scoring, defending, ball movement, pace, persistence, and passion will all begin as blank slates this year.

But that is not to say that the team will ignore recent history.  Jahlil Okafor will certainly be a factor in offensie this season.  In fact, the early assessment suggests that he will benefit tremendously from the new roster make-up.  From his rookie season, his offense shows tremendous upside. Could he average 25 points a game?  Based on his scoring acumen in a rather sparse roster,  that certainly seems doable.