The Sixer Sense
Fansided

Can Philadelphia 76ers Jahlil Okafor ascend from zero to hero?

By Bret Stuter

CAMDEN, NJ - SEPTEMBER 25: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been desaturated.) Jahlil Okafor #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers poses for a portrait during the Philadelphia 76ers Media Day on September 25, 2017 at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex in Camden, New Jersey.NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
CAMDEN, NJ - SEPTEMBER 25: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been desaturated.) Jahlil Okafor #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers poses for a portrait during the Philadelphia 76ers Media Day on September 25, 2017 at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex in Camden, New Jersey.NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 20: Jahlil Okafor
PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 20: Jahlil Okafor /

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.

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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.