Sixers draft: The 3 worst draft picks Sam Hinkie made

Sixers draft: Worst Sam Hinkie picks — Jahlil Okafor

Jahlil Okafor was selected third overall by the Sixers in 2015. One pick later, Kristaps Porzingis was selected by the New York Knicks. Myles Turner, Devin Booker, Montrezl Harrell, and Josh Richardson were all on the board when the Sixers made their selection, among others. Not only is this Hinkie’s worst pick, but it’s one of the worst lottery picks in Sixers history.

There was reason to be excited about Okafor. He looked to be a strong offensive threat that might be able to slide over to the four and complement the likes of the rim-protecting Nerlens Noel, who was establishing himself in the Liberty City at the time.

Okafor had just won a national championship with the Duke Blue Devils and flashed abilities that looked NBA ready in the post.

Sam Hinkie and the Sixers probably overthought this one and oversold themselves on Okafor’s potential, neglecting to fully consider his shortcomings. It didn’t help that Porzingis and his agent refused to work out with the Sixers, making his risk profile rather high for the team.

And those shortcomings presented themselves in full force early on in Okafor’s career. On the defensive end, Okafor struggled tremendously to keep up with the league’s top centers. His offensive game, while proficient in the post, wasn’t enough to make up for his defensive shortcomings and his lack of effort on that end and on the boards.

Okafor put up an impressive 17.5 points per game in his rookie season, but an atrocious defensive box plus/minus of -1.8.

Philly tried to make things work with Okafor for the first two seasons, but ultimately things would only get worse throughout his time with the team. It became increasingly clear that the Sixers had drafted themselves into a logjam with Noel and Okafor, as neither player had the skillset to slide over to the four.

The team needed to move on from at least one of them, and with Joel Embiid coming back in full-force following an injury-filled start to his career, the team would move forward and be relatively OK without either. The Sixers traded both players.

Traded partway through his third season with the Sixers, Philly sent Okafor to the Brooklyn Nets.

Okafor has since had a small resurgence, particularly this season with the New Orleans Pelicans, but still struggles on the defensive end. His effort seems to be a bit better, but he’ll never be the starting center many thought he would be when Philly selected him third overall in 2015.