thelesterlee
Jahlil Okafor has been considered a bust after being selected no. 3 overall in 2015 by the Philadelphia 76ers.
He was the no. 1 ranked high school player heading into a dominant freshman season at Duke—averaging 17 points and 8 rebounds on 66% shooting from the field.
Unfortunately, he was drafted into a Sixers franchise that was ending ‘The Process‘—a pretentious description of losing on purpose to increase their likelihood of picking at the top of the draft and selecting a franchise-altering player such as the National Freshman of the Year, Jahlil Okafor—stacking together a bunch of young pieces with no cohesive on-court plan who simply existed as future trade chips they were grooming like livestock.
Okafor didn’t stand a chance playing on a team with a frontcourt of guys like Nerlens Noel, Christian Wood, Jerami Grant, Richaun Holmes and Robert Covington—who are all now key pieces on other rosters.
Plus, Okafor’s playing style was slow-motion post moves at a time when bigs were all stepping behind the arc—so he joined a chaotic organization with an archaic offensive style.
Man didn’t stand a chance.
He’s since bounced around the league and in his travels, he’s conquered his demons, mastered his craft on the road to becoming the most valuable player in the NBA.
You see, when Okafor is on your team you get the no. 1 overall pick the next season and there’s nothing more valuable than that.
Following his rookie season in Philly, the Sixers got the first pick and selected Ben Simmons.
The next season in Philly, the Sixers got the first pick again and selected Markelle Fultz.
In 2018-19, Okafor signed with the New Orleans Pelicans. Then the Pelicans got the No. 1 pick and selected Zion Williamson.
This year, Jahlil played for the Detroit Pistons and guess who just won the 2021 draft lottery?
Yes, the very same Detroit Pistons.
Rebuilding teams should be locking Jahlil Okafor down this summer with at least a 5-year max— knowing they will automatically end up with the first pick in the draft.
Honestly, he’s more valuable than Nikola Jokic at this point.
Get Okafor the Max.
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