15. Jahlil Okafor
By: Matt Burnham
76ers stats:
| Season | Age | Tm | Pos | G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | 2P% | eFG% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 20 | PHI | C | 53 | 48 | 30.0 | .508 | .167 | .511 | .509 | .686 | 7.0 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 17.5 |
| 2016-17 | 21 | PHI | C | 50 | 33 | 22.7 | .514 | .514 | .514 | .671 | 4.8 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 11.8 | |
| 2017-18 | 22 | PHI | C | 2 | 0 | 12.5 | .444 | .444 | .444 | .500 | 4.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 3.5 | 5.0 | |
| 3 seasons | PHI | 105 | 81 | 26.2 | .510 | .167 | .512 | .510 | .677 | 5.9 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 14.6 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/5/2019.
Everybody remembers the hype around Jahlil Okafor. The big man out of Duke was in conversations to be selected first overall in the 2015 NBA Draft before it ultimately (and correctly) was Karl-Anthony Towns.
Okafor was seen as a major step towards the “completion” of the Process. The idea was to have Okafor and Joel Embiid become the modern day Twin Towers, much like David Robinson and Tim Duncan with the San Antonio Spurs.
Okafor actually made the All-Rookie First Team in 2016, averaging 17.5 points and 7.0 boards. He played 53 games that year, the most he has ever played in a season, until he exceeded that number this season with the New Orleans Pelicans with 59 games played.
Aside from being made of paper meche, perhaps his biggest call to fame was a street fight he was involved in back in November 2015 after a loss in Boston. A TMZ video surfaced the following day and the 76ers organization hired him a personal security guard.
Okafor failed to remain healthy and provide the Sixers with hope that he was their guy. The Sixers declined picking up his fourth year option and he was dealt to the Brooklyn Nets in December 2017 as the team decided to move forward with Embiid and Ben Simmons as their nucleus. The big man out of Duke signed with the New Orleans Pelicans last August and averaged 8.2 points with 4.7 rebounds in just 15.8 minutes per game.
On this team, Okafor is meant to be a big body in the paint, a similar role to Boban Marjanovic’s on the current team. When Joel Embiid needs some rest, Okafor can come in and man the floor. Plays will not necessarily be ran through him, but he is capable of tallying 10 points and 5 boards a night as long as he remains healthy.