Where is Jahlil Okafor?

[dkj5061]

Why are you comparing Jahlil Okafor to players that are several years older than him with many more years of NBA experience? Jahlil Okafor is in his second NBA season and he's still only 20 years old. Enes Kanter is 24 years old in his 6th NBA season. Greg Monroe is 26 years old in his 7th NBA season. Nikola Vucevic is 26 years old in his 6th NBA season. Jahlil Okafor haters go out of their way to make a different reality. In this case one where 20 year olds do not improve. It reminds me of Andrew Wiggins haters who said that he would never be a great player because he can't handle the basketball and he can't shoot the 3 ball. Now look what he has done in those two areas...

Even in their first and second years, all of those guys were SIGNIFICANTLY better rebounders than Okafor. Like not even close. So Okafor is already starting from a disadvantage in that regard, and so far this year he has shown no desire to improve at all. He has in fact regressed across the board. I'm praying he can right the ship and approach becoming one of those guys.

Okafor is a significantly better shot blocker at the age of 20 than any of those guys have displayed in their entire careers. He's not the same as those guys and should not be compared to them. Okafor haters conveniently value rebounding ONLY.

I definitely don't only value rebounding. When Okafor is a statically worse defender than all of them (about the same as Kanter), shot blocking seems like a pretty negligible stat though. Obviously I'm glad he's average at it. I don't want to hate on the guy, I was a huge proponent of 6th man Jah being able to feast on second units. When it appears as if he's regressing though, I'm starting to lose faith. He's a negative for the team right now and that's what matters most at the end of the day right?

[Kobblehead]

He's been a negative on both ends of the floor from the moment he stepped onto an NBA court until now. A sunk asset.

[LloydFree]

How much more forthright do I have to be? If you believe the shoe fits...

Usually referring to caves (and bridges) implies trolling. To clarify - if that is what you mean - those that disagree with you aren't doing so just for the sake of it or to spite you.

Oh come on man. I know they aren't doing anything to spite me. But it is a lot less annoying when they are forced to be quiet, instead of having to read ridiculous arguments to show why he's a good player who has been victimized by his teammates and coach.
It's still a shame, because they (Prokafors... ugh) still haven't really learned anything. It took a couple bad shooting (offensive) games for them to notice he doesn't rebound and is a disgrace on defense. He's a bad player even when he is making shots. But it took the bad offense for them to be quiet. SMH.

[SelfishPlayer]

When it appears as if he's regressing though, I'm starting to lose faith.

Do you have faith in Brett Brown, TJ McConnell, Sergio Rodriguez, and Jerryd Bayless?

[Ericb5]

I'll be concerned if Jah doesn't improve by 2nd half of december to january.

For now, I think it's likely he bounces back as a scorer with improved D (he's doing progress this season). But I still find it difficult to see him being a good rebounder and a good shooter this season.

I'm not THAT excited of Jah/Biid frontcourt. And I won't be surprise if Jah is not part of our long term core.

I have never considered Jah as part of our core. I realize that I define cores differently than some people, but to me the core is Simmons and Embiid, and everyone else are just auditioning to join the core.

Once we are a 50 win team then maybe the core is defined differently, but in a rebuilding team I think of a core as the players around whom you build.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[NJ SixerFan]

I would much rather the Sixers try and mend fences with Noel and keep him around but even if Noel is traded I think Jah needs to be shipped out as well. Jah is not good at 1 thing the sixers need him to be good at to justify keeping him on the floor. Yeah yeah he can score but as has been pointed out numerous times it is terribly inefficient and even in that department doesn't show up every night. I'm past the point of caring that he was a 3rd overall selection and consider him a sunk cost at this point. This is possibly also an example of addition by subtraction. The sixers might just be a better team without him regardless of who they acquire in the trade.

[Ericb5]

Okafor wasn't ever going to bring back a high pick. Enes Kanter didn't bring back a lottery pick. Greg Monroe didn't bring back anything for Detroit when he was on the block. And Orlando isn't ever going to get anything for Vucevic. Okafor isn't even as good as those guys.

Why are you comparing Jahlil Okafor to players that are several years older than him with many more years of NBA experience? Jahlil Okafor is in his second NBA season and he's still only 20 years old. Enes Kanter is 24 years old in his 6th NBA season. Greg Monroe is 26 years old in his 7th NBA season. Nikola Vucevic is 26 years old in his 6th NBA season. Jahlil Okafor haters go out of their way to make a different reality. In this case one where 20 year olds do not improve. It reminds me of Andrew Wiggins haters who said that he would never be a great player because he can't handle the basketball and he can't shoot the 3 ball. Now look what he has done in those two areas...

Even in their first and second years, all of those guys were SIGNIFICANTLY better rebounders than Okafor. Like not even close. So Okafor is already starting from a disadvantage in that regard, and so far this year he has shown no desire to improve at all. He has in fact regressed across the board. I'm praying he can right the ship and approach becoming one of those guys.

Agreed that Okafor's poor rebounding is a significant red flag, but it isn't fair to say that he has shown no desire to fix it. He has shown no CAPACITY to fix it.

I think that Okafor is better at 20 years old than Monroe, Kanter or Jefferson. He is a more talented prospect. That doesn't mean that he is going to end up better than them though.

Okafor is legitimately gifted as a low post scorer, and only Jefferson, of those three, have a similar level of talent in that, or any other single, area.

The difference between Okafor and Jefferson is size, in that Okafor is longer.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SelfishPlayer]

This is possibly also an example of addition by subtraction. The sixers might just be a better team without him regardless of who they acquire in the trade.

Mistake. I doubt anyone could feel that way about Okafor if somehow the Sixers added a dominant three point shooting point guard to the roster like Dame Lillard for nothing in exchange. If Kevin Love can improve on defense...

[Eyeamok]

Interesting how Noel decided to have elective surgery at the start of the season. Seemingly giving the center position to Okafor to share with Embiid and effectively knocking himself out of the running. But now with less than 15 games played, Noel is now the guy people want to see play. Funny how things work out.

[NJ SixerFan]

This is possibly also an example of addition by subtraction. The sixers might just be a better team without him regardless of who they acquire in the trade.

Mistake. I doubt anyone could feel that way about Okafor if somehow the Sixers added a dominant three point shooting point guard to the roster like Dame Lillard for nothing in exchange. If Kevin Love can improve on defense...

Adding a "dominant three point shooting point guard" would be a great fit with Ben Simmons. I have absolutely no desire to watch Jah play the PF position for the sixers or anything more than 15 mins at the backup center position if he has to play at all.

[TTP]

This is possibly also an example of addition by subtraction. The sixers might just be a better team without him regardless of who they acquire in the trade.

Mistake. I doubt anyone could feel that way about Okafor if somehow the Sixers added a dominant three point shooting point guard to the roster like Dame Lillard for nothing in exchange. If Kevin Love can improve on defense...

Kevin Love's defense has always been significantly better than Okafor's is now. His defensive limitations have been massively exaggerated. He's graded well historically and throughout his career his team's defense has been better when he's on the court. He doesn't foul and gets a ton of defensive rebounds.

[NJ SixerFan]

This is possibly also an example of addition by subtraction. The sixers might just be a better team without him regardless of who they acquire in the trade.

Mistake. I doubt anyone could feel that way about Okafor if somehow the Sixers added a dominant three point shooting point guard to the roster like Dame Lillard for nothing in exchange. If Kevin Love can improve on defense...

Kevin Love's defense has always been significantly better than Okafor's is now. His defensive limitations have been massively exaggerated. He's graded well historically and throughout his career his team's defense has been better when he's on the court. He doesn't foul and gets a ton of defensive rebounds.

BOOM. Oh and stretches the floor on offense like a boss.

[spikeslovechild]

Interesting how Noel decided to have elective surgery at the start of the season. Seemingly giving the center position to Okafor to share with Embiid and effectively knocking himself out of the running. But now with less than 15 games played, Noel is now the guy people want to see play. Funny how things work out.

Embiid is the one we want to see play. I am interested in how Noel responds but he has no future here. He wants to start and we can't afford to pay him max money to be a backup.

It's the most obvious trade in the NBA right now.

[SelfishPlayer]

BOOM. Oh and stretches the floor on offense like a boss.

Kevin Love has the same defensive rating right now in 2017 that he had his last season in Minnesota a 104.2 in 2013-14 and now a a 104.3. So he only improved .1? Advanced stats are dangerous in the hands of the wrong people. Kevin Love was an awful defensive player in Minnesota and he is in an entirely different galaxy now. You certainly can not tell that by his DEF RTG. BOOM!

[TTP]

BOOM. Oh and stretches the floor on offense like a boss.

Kevin Love has the same defensive rating right now in 2017 that he had his last season in Minnesota a 104.2 in 2013-14 and now a a 104.3. So he only improved .1? Advanced stats are dangerous in the hands of the wrong people. Kevin Love was an awful defensive player in Minnesota and he is in an entirely different galaxy now. You certainly can not tell that by his DEF RTG. BOOM!

Yeah they're dangerous in your hands.

I don't understand where you're pulling your numbers from either. His on-court DRTG this season (according to bballref) is 103.7. In 2013-14 it was 106.0. So by your method of evaluation, he's 2.3 points per 100 possessions better now than previously.

Your method of evaluation is obviously pretty terrible though. Even if it were a foolproof method of evaluation, all you've managed to prove is that he's a better defender now than he was 3 seasons ago. You've done nothing to indicate how Love performs relative to others at his position.

[TeamHigh]

BOOM. Oh and stretches the floor on offense like a boss.

Kevin Love has the same defensive rating right now in 2017 that he had his last season in Minnesota a 104.2 in 2013-14 and now a a 104.3. So he only improved .1? Advanced stats are dangerous in the hands of the wrong people. Kevin Love was an awful defensive player in Minnesota and he is in an entirely different galaxy now. You certainly can not tell that by his DEF RTG. BOOM!

1.) Kevin Love is a proven PF. Okafor is not.

2.) Kevin Love is an elite rebounder (career DRB% of 29). Okafor is anything but (career DRB% of 16.9). Again, as a PF vs C.

3.) Kevin Love has never been a negative on the offensive end. Outside of his injury shortened season (which should obviously be discounted because it's a tiny sample and he played with a broken hand), he has never been a negative offensive player. His ORtg his first year was 112. His career ORtg is 116. Jahlil's career ORtg is 98. He has never been a positive on the offensive end.

4.) Kevin Love is good at drawing fouls. He had a FTr of .488 his rookie season. Okafor hasn't broken .300 yet. Kevin Love is also an >80% free throw shooter. Let's not even bring up Okafor's numbers in order to be kind to him.

5.) Kevin Love has never had a negative VORP. Okafor has never had a positive VORP.

6.) Kevin Love is a career 40.3% shooter from 16-3pt, and a career 36.5% shooter from 3. Okafor is a career 23.9% shooter from 16-3pt, and a career 16.7% shooter from 3.

You're right, advanced stats are dangerous. You shouldn't use them.

[marcush]

Sure, Okafor has sucked as expected but let's keep our nerve for the remainder of the season. Some potentially special perimeter to players in this draft and minutes and shots for Okafor is the best way to acquire these guys.

Just keep him off the court while Embiid is on and I'll be happy.

[76ersfan]

Okafor looks so bad this year. My gosh

[marcush]

Okafor looks so bad this year. My gosh

In fairness to Jah, he was just as damaging last year except he had 15 shots per game to get those 17 points. Fans love dem some PPG.

[76ersfan]

Okafor looks so bad this year. My gosh

In fairness to Jah, he was just as damaging last year except he had 15 shots per game to get those 17 points. Fans love dem some PPG.

Agree completely. Just looks even **** this year. FG% is down by a lot which concerns me