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Jahlil Okafor is struggling in Brooklyn, and we should have seen it coming

By Christopher Kline

BROOKLYN, NY - FEBRUARY 2: Jahlil Okafor #4 of the Brooklyn Nets shoots a free throw against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 2, 2018 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
BROOKLYN, NY - FEBRUARY 2: Jahlil Okafor #4 of the Brooklyn Nets shoots a free throw against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 2, 2018 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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It turns out the Philadelphia 76ers benched Jahlil Okafor for a reason.

I always found myself a bit surprised by all the controversy surrounding Jahlil Okafor during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, especially this season. He always wanted to play and had the pedigree of a former top-three pick, but his production never warranted consistent minutes.

That, above all else, was the reason Brett Brown benched him. Amir Johnson and Richaun Holmes were better options.

Okafor was clearly unhappy with not playing, though, and taking so long to trade him was questionable. He wanted out and made sure the media knew it, all while handling a difficult situation with as much grace as you could reasonably expect under the given circumstances.

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Going from an elite, championship-winning prospect at Duke to the bottom of an NBA bench isn’t the most ideal of storylines.

He just wasn’t deserving of playing time, and that’s what it came down to in the end. The Sixers weren’t sitting him because he didn’t want to be there, they were sitting him because his style of play hurt the team. He was a net negative, and his recent struggles in Brooklyn have only reaffirmed that.

It’s a bit cliche, but post-heavy scorers without much else in their skill set don’t fit in 2018’s version of the NBA. Okafor can’t pass like Greg Monroe, crash the glass like Enes Kanter or shoot like Brook Lopez — he’s just a bullish iso scorer on the block who can’t defend.

Okafor, efficiency issues aside, has an NBA skill. His frame and footwork will always allow him to be effective when positioned around the basket. It’s his inability to affect the game in other ways that kills his value, and that mostly comes on the defensive end.

Jah is in better shape physically than he was in Philadelphia, but he still struggles on that side of the ball. The effort is finally there, but he doesn’t have the lateral quickness or general awareness needed to succeed on a consistent basis.

His net rating hasn’t been great in a Nets uniform.

Given all that he’s been through, it’s hard not to cheer for Okafor. You hope the guy finds success. The issue is that I don’t know how he finds that success without revolutionizing his game entirely, which doesn’t feel likely at this point.

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Brooklyn is young and has plenty of time to give Okafor the ball and work on his development, but saying Philly made a mistake by benching (and inevitably trading) him is no longer reasonable.