Will the Sixers try to squeeze out more trade value for Jahlil Okafor?
As the Sixers still hold the embattled big man, will Jahlil Okafor somehow salvage some sort of trade value?
Jahlil Okafor being drafted at third overall will go down as the one most noticeable blemish in this Sixers rebuild. To who the blame should go to is debatable. Okafor came in and proved to be the prospect everyone thought he’d be his rookie year; scoring well and failing to defend much of anything.
He made himself enough of an impact to make the first team All-Rookie, despite seeing his season cut short by injury. It seems like that Jahlil Okafor is long gone, and a distant memory. Honestly, the Sixers would be happy to see Okafor top out at his rookie self, considering how minimal his role will now be on this roster.
An effective scoring big man off the bench sounds great. The problem is he is less than capable of doing much else. He struggles to stay in front of any post player. He fails to close out on jumper. He can’t seem to find any contact on screens. When he does, he’s slow to roll. He’s one of the worst rebounding big men in the league. What’s most frustrating, he doesn’t pass well or often.
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The passing stings the most. Even with all the other deficiencies making him a negative asset, at least some capable passing wouldn’t completely hamstring the Sixers offense. His slow build in the post gets him buckets here and there, but some passing out of the post could really open up the perimeter offense. It could even make him a net positive on offense.
It was something that allowed him to succeed in his one season at Duke. Despite his low assist numbers, Okafor moved the ball well in the Blue Devils offense, even while being the main scoring option. Since his first day as an NBA player, that part of his game failed to follow him to Philadelphia.
Of course the talks about Okafor in the offseason have been trades and his apparent improved fitness (injury included), but the real question should surround his role on this roster. The Sixers have been unable to move him, and their quest to have him improve his trade value has failed miserably thus far.
But they could try it again. And it’ll be apparent if they do. Joel Embiid and Richaun Holmes will likely get the bulk of the center minutes once again. Beyond that, Amir Johnson and Ben Simmons will take on small ball center roles as well. Jahlil Okafor will have to see major improvements see his role be maximized and consistent.
But if Okafor is trying to be “showcased” again, expect more of the same frustrations. There is hope for improvement, however, considering the improved roster around him. Ben Simmons-Okafor lineups aren’t ideal for spacing, but he would be a big target underneath for easy lay-ins. He could also be impacted positively by the presence of outside threats J.J. Redick and Markelle Fultz. But these are assuming he improves his energy overall.
Really, the Sixers should just hide him at the end of the bench. He could come in on occasion when the team is running dry on offense, but in reality Okafor should not near the 20 minute per game mark for this team. It would be a devastation of an asset, but it’s safe to say it’s past that point when talking about Okafor.
Teams have turned their backs on some more talented big men this summer, so the market for Jahlil Okafor seems just a notch above nonexistent. The Sixers have two more seasons to decide on what they want to do with him, so maybe they’ll continue to push this Okafor experiment until it falls even flatter on its face.
It’s a shame that the once promising prospect has failed to pan out to become even serviceable for the Sixers. Hopefully this isn’t the tale of a short NBA career, but considering the offseason moves the Sixers made, it’s clear his time as a considerable asset for Philadelphia is all but over.