Section 215
Fansided

Sixers: Jahlil Okafor Will Try To Feed Off Good Road Trip

By George Kondoleon

Mar 12, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) dives for a loose ball out of bounds against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 12, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) dives for a loose ball out of bounds against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Sixers head home from a grueling road trip, and Jahlil Okafor will try to continue his recent streak of respectable games.

The west coast trip for the Sixers was a success in almost every aspect but the win column. The team lost two close games to Portland and the Clippers, before taking a win from the tanking Lakers. They then went on to blow a lead to the Golden State Warriors.

It felt like the most promising 1-3 road trip a rebuilding team could have. They were fighting late into games with playoff caliber teams, and won one over a lesser team. Dario Saric and Robert Covington led the team for most of the road trip, but struggling center Jahlil Okafor also had a good stretch of games on the west coast.

Okafor averaged 18.7 points per game during the road trip, while still just racking up 5.5 boards on average. There was some reminiscence of Okafor’s rookie season, where it seemed his offensive game shined miles more than this season. It could be that he’s finally getting over what seems to be a nagging knee injury, or maybe Okafor finally sees the positive in showing more all around effort.

More from Philadelphia 76ers

Either way, he’s seen some promising games. Promising enough to keep him around as a backup center if these types of games continue to be a trend. Or at the least, slightly increase his trade value. Okafor’s presence in the post was felt with more consistency, using his signature spin move to free himself up. He also was more willing to pass out of the post, and seemed to make contact on his screens, which besides his defense might be the most worrying part of his game.

Defensively, he was still nothing to scoff about. But in the games against the Lakers and Golden State, he did record one and four blocks respectively. Okafor will never be a great defender, but if he can provide some moments on defense while scoring 16 points off the bench, he may be able to salvage his young career. Okafor does still tend to slow the pace of the offense, which doesn’t favor the Sixers considering their scheme and the lack of talent in half-court sets. But there’s a payoff to that if the once highly touted big man prospect hits his post shots on a more consistent basis.

Okafor will try to feed off this good play, as he’ll be going up against his “counterpart” in Nerlens Noel on Friday. It’ll be a huge day for both players. As Noel returns to Philadelphia for the first time since being traded, Okafor will try to spoil his return with a good scoring outing. And although Richaun Holmes is still the superior center around this team, Okafor can put the Sixers in a good situation with continued outings like the four we saw on the west coast.

Next: Sixers Draft Watch: Frank Ntilikina

Whether he’s cementing his place as a backup center or increasing his trade value, the Sixers should feel hopeful. Okafor seems healthier than he has all season, and now must prove so on the court. With just 14 games left in the season, Jahlil Okafor’s play could start a domino effect in roster moves.