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

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 76ers
PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 4: Jahlil Okafor #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots a free throw during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies during a preseason game on October 4, 2017 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

From zero to hero

And so we are on October 5, 2017. It’s the day after the Philadelphia 76ers and Jahlil Okafor faced the Memphis Grizzlies.  It was the first game of the season, and it was the last chance for Okafor to take a stand.  He had switched to a Vegan diet, dropped 20 pounds, and portayed himself as a focused young man.

But the proof is in the pudding.  So how did he do?  Better yet, what will it take to persuade Philadelphia fans he is not a lost cause?

Perhaps this is the moment of turnaround. Okafor led the team with 13 points on 19 minutes played. But he also added 6 rebounds, 2 blocks and he shot five of six from the floor and three of three from the free throw line. He was one of two 76ers players to finish with a positive plus/minus . He landed at plus four (J.J. Redick had plus five).

Just one game, but trends start now

Well, it was one game. But he was very active on offense, and surprisingly very active on defense. After all the frustration of the fans, and the player, surely there is a thawing of the cold shoulder. I mean, this is not some kid with a pass. This is a mature man with an entirely new perspective.

This is the NUMBER THREE PICK of the 2015 NBA Draft, and he’s saying that he must earn his place on this team?  That is the type of player we need today, and tomorrow. Even if he is a reserve, I want a player on this team who wants to play minutes he has earned, and not just be granted to him like three wishes from a genie bottle.  The 2017 version of Jahlil Okafor is ideal.