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NBA Draft: Jahlil Okafor Draft Profile
Jahlil Okafor – 6’11” C, Duke University, 19 years old
Offensive Game –
Okafor fulfilled his big freshman expectations by being named ACC player of the year and First Team All-American. He is a true center prospect. Okafor also was a major force in Duke’s NCAA championship win. Okafor has very good ball-handling skills, great footwork, agile and can run the floor well for a player with his size.
Okafor has great post play already and has the strength to move players when he is close to the basket. He is a good passer and can recognize the double-team. In addition, Okafor can finish close to the basket with either hand. One negative is that Okafor needs to work on is free-throw percentage to avoid becoming negated offensively like Los Angeles Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan.
Defensive Game –
It is the defensive side of the ball where Okafor’s game is a work in progress. Okafor was inconsistent and showed flashes from time to time. In reality, Okafor could be a far better defensive player than he showed in his freshman season.
Okafor did not demonstrate that he could adequately cover the screen and roll. He seemed slow to recover and conservatively played very underneath screens. Worse, Okafor was not a very good defensive rebounder or good around the rim. Okafor appeared content to let other players take rebounds.
NBA Potential –
Okafor has great potential in the NBA. His back-to-the-basket offensive play is not necessarily used as much as in the past, but teams should be able to use that talent with effective surrounding talent. Okafor should be motivated to improve his defense and be a top talent in the years to come as his size cannot be taught.
NBA Player Comparison –
Okafor is not an above-the-rim type of player like Dwight Howard or DeAndre Jordan. He is likely more of a Marc Gasol or Tim Duncan type of player. While putting a Tim Duncan legacy on the back of Okafor is not necessarily fair, Okafor is a classic old-school NBA offensive talent who should succeed unless held back by injury. Okafor’s lack of athleticism above-the-rim should not be held against him.
NBA Readiness –
Okafor will be drafted one or two and it appears certain that he will be joining a rebuilding or struggling franchise. For that reason, it is most likely that he will begin his career as an NBA starter and will continue as such for the majority of his career barring injury.
