Don’t go breaking my heart….
It’s almost heartbreaking when you realize that Jahlil Okafor accounted for nearly 18 percent of the 2015-2016 offense. Now, fans (and there are more than you realize) are cheering the day he no longer dons the Philadelphia 76ers jersey.
More from The Sixer Sense
- 3 Sixers players who could help Team USA Basketball
- 76ers 2k24 ratings: 3 most underrated players on Philadelphia roster
- 76ers head coach Nick Nurse bares lofty plans for Paul Reed this season
- Grade the Trade: 76ers swap Tobias Harris for superstar PG in mock deal
- Sixers Podcast: Danny Green returns + James Harden bombshell
Compounding the situation was the element of “too much of a good thing”. The team had the makings of three star centers on the roster in Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid, and Jahlil Okafor. Through no fault of their own, they all found themselves competing for playing time, and growing frustrated over the bleak future for two of the three. It was not Jahlil Okafor, but rather Nerlens Noel who elected surgery to clean up his knee, and who called out the front office.
Bad knee interpreted as bad everything under the sun
There is no denying that Okafor regressed in his second season. Many attribute it to “not a good fit.” Some say that the days of a “back to the basket” center are antiquated, and that Jahlil Okafor simply plays a game of basketball that is no longer relevant.
But we were all speculating. The fact is that he was under pressure to get back into the lineup. However, his knee was still giving him fits. A big man on a shaky wheel is never a good thing, and Okafor’s numbers plunged last season as a result. That knee, although misunderstood, complicated everything. On one hand, he couldn’t develop on the court. On the other hand, the uncertainty of his knee shut down trade possibilities.