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Philadelphia 76ers: The Best And Worst Case Pro-Comparisons For Young Players

By George Kondoleon

Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers number one overall draft pick Ben Simmons (R) during an introduction press conference at the Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers number one overall draft pick Ben Simmons (R) during an introduction press conference at the Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jahlil Okafor

Best Case Scenario: Nikola Vucevic

Worst Case Scenario: Al Jefferson

Jahlil Okafor and the Philadelphia 76ers have been a hot topic. After becoming a controversial 3rd consecutive center draft selection in three straight drafts, many questioned the fit of Okafor on the team and also on how his game will transition into the NBA. His rookie season was hampered by injury and off-court issues, but still Okafor was able to put up great scoring numbers.

His best case scenario to this point will be developing into a scoring-rebounding machine in Nikola Vucevic. The former Philadelphia 76ers draft pick has turned into one of the best offensive centers in the league, and Jahlil Okafor is already showing glimpses of why he’ll be joining that company.

Vucevic and Okafor both struggle with defensive assignments, and while Okafor can stretch the defense just a little bit more, Vucevic is clearly the more dominate rebounder. Okafor developing into a Vucevic-type allows for consistent scoring down low while also securing rebounds on a consistent basis allows for the Philadelphia 76ers to control the paint.

Okafor could also turn to the late-career of Al Jefferson. Jefferson was once a dominant low-post scorer and even developed into a decent defensive presence. Since then, Jefferson has seen injury problems and has struggled to both score and defend down low. If Okafor can’t find more ways to score in the NBA, it won’t take long for defenses to figure out how to stop him.

The Philadelphia 76ers will hope for improvement on both sides of the ball from Okafor, but his floor seems to be higher than other prospects solely due to his innate ability to score.

Next: Dario Saric