NBA Summer League: How Did Jahlil Okafor Fare In Utah?

The NBA Summer League is in full swing, which means it’s the season for highlight real plays, surprise performances from unknown players and colossal overreactions from fans and the media.

Out of all the prospects that have competed thus far, the microscope has really been on the Philadelphia 76ers‘ No. 3 overall pick in Jahlil Okafor, who seemingly scored at will as a freshman at Duke, averaging an excellent 17 points and eight rebounds per game on 66 percent shooting on the way to winning a national championship.

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With his consistent dominance against college competition as a 19-year-old, many were expecting Okafor to immediately shine in the Utah Summer League. While he’s certainly displayed flashes of the brilliance that fans are used to seeing from him, his performance has generated some concerns, especially from the Twitter universe.

While it’s important to note that Summer League production rarely immediately translates to the NBA, it’s always fun to dissect a performance. Okafor still has time to shine at this week’s Las Vegas Summer League, but for now, we’ll take a look at Okafor’s performance, for good and for bad, at the three-game Utah Summer League.

Jahlil Okafor in Utah: The Good

In three games in Salt Lake City, Okafor put up solid numbers averaging 14.7 points and 8.0 rebounds in 30 minutes of action per game. While his numbers weren’t eye-popping, he frequently showed glimpses of the skills that earned him the nod as a top-3 pick.

Sixers fans likely tuned in to see Okafor’s renowned post moves, and they didn’t leave disappointed.

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While he struggled to finish at times, Okafor showed his rare ability to put the ball on the floor, spin away from defenders and get open looks near the rim. His variety of moves down low had him looking like a man amongst boys at times, which fits the billing of a top-3 pick.

Like his Duke days, Okafor primarily shined in one-on-one situations. He was routinely able to find his spot backing opponents down low for paint attempts and often found himself at the line for a free throw after converting a three-point play.

Perhaps even more impressive, Okafor showed nimble feet on face-up attempts while blowing by slower defenders on drives from the high post for easy layups. While he showed flashes of a face-up game at Duke, his polish facing up and putting the ball on the floor through three games in Utah looks to be a pleasant surprise for Philadelphia.

Another encouraging sign for Sixers fans is the way Okafor fought off double-teams with slippery post moves and cross-court passes. He’s has dealt with double-teams for his entire career, and his ability to move the ball and find space to score despite drawing two defenders will make him a tremendous weapon at the next level.

Okafor’s passing numbers weren’t terrific, but he showed potential finding the open man from the post as he did at Duke. His exceptionally large hands and solid court vision give him a rare ability to fling the ball with his back turned and hit perimeter shooters for easy shots, like below.

On the boards, Okafor was hit or miss, but he showed a nice ability to use his size and positioning to secure offensive rebounds and convert tip-in attempts. He averaged 3.7 offensive rebounds per game, which will fit right in with the Sixers who finished top-5 in offensive rebounds in 2014.

While the main knock on Okafor coming into the draft was his defense, he showed some potential on that end, though he still has a lot of work to do. For some positives, he did a nice job of using his length to bother ball handlers on the pick-and-roll and he was decent at defending post-ups and forcing difficult looks for opposing bigs on the block.

While Sixers fans may be somewhat disappointed that Okafor didn’t put up dominant numbers against inferior big men in Utah, they definitely saw glimpses of the tremendous post threat that Sam Hinkie selected at No. 3 overall.

Jahlil Okafor in Utah: The Bad

It’s rare that a rookie looks perfect in Summer League, and despite being incredibly polished for a 19-year-old, Okafor was not an exception to that trend in Utah.

The biggest cause for concern in Okafor’s Summer League performances was his efficiency with the ball in his hands.

Frankly, he was a turnover machine for the Sixers, averaging a brutal 4.7 turnovers per game while frequently mishandling his dribble and losing the ball under the rim. His turnovers were particularly costly for the Sixers in their two losses, as he turned the ball over late in crunch time of close games against both the San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz.

In addition to an alarming turnover frequency, Okafor struggled with his shooting percentage. In his three games, he’s shot around 46 percent, which is sub-par for a low post big man, especially when facing Summer League level defenders that he should theoretically dominate.

To Philadelphia fans’ dismay, Okafor was also abysmal from the free throw line, converting a total of four of his 13 attempts. It’s not a surprise to see Okafor struggling at the line, but with a recent emphasis on hacking poor free throw shooters late in NBA games, his free throw numbers are still a cause for concern.

Okafor showed flashes on the offensive boards, yet his rebounding wasn’t as consistent as the Sixers might have hoped.

Despite averaging a solid eight board per game, he looked lazy at times while failing to box out his man and giving up offensive rebounds. While his rebounding struggles were in part due to teammate Furkan Aldemir grabbing boards at an elite rate, Okafor occasionally went for long stretches without grabbing any boards at all, including a rebound-less second half Thursday night against the Jazz.

Defensively, Okafor showed many of the issues that plagued his draft stock, including a lack of awareness and poor help defense.

In several instances, he looked lost with his back turned to the basket as opposing penetrators scored easy layups with no sign of help defense in sight. Luckily for the Sixers, Okafor will have an elite defender in Nerlens Noel to cover up some of his defensive deficiencies, but it’s clear that the Duke product has a long way to go in becoming a solid defender.

Basketball skills aside, Okafor’s motor and conditioning have raised some questions, as he often looked exhausted and sluggish moving up and down the court. His conditioning is definitely a concern, and he’ll have to improve to give a better effort on the court, but the Sixers still have several months to get him back into basketball shape.

Jahlil Okafor in Utah: Keeping Perspective

While Okafor’s early struggles are a bit alarming, it’s important to keep his performance in perspective.

For one thing, Okafor is playing on a Summer League roster that is merely a collection of fringe NBA players looking to earn a training camp invite. The team had just a few days to gel in practice before hitting the court in Utah, which doesn’t bode well for a player who relies on crisp sets and entry passes into the post for his offense.

Another circumstance plaguing Okafor is his team’s putrid spacing, as seen courtesy of Derek Bodner’s Twitter below:

The Sixers’ lack of legitimate shooting threats consistently allowed defenses to clog the paint and deny Okafor the ball, while also making it easier for opponents to double-team him when he eventually received a pass. With excellent shooters in Robert Covington, Nik Stauskas and Isaiah Canaan surrounding him come opening night, Okafor will have much better spacing and passing options to work with in the NBA and will likely improve his efficiency with the ball.

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As far as rebounding and defense go, it’s important to remember that Okafor has not played organized basketball since he won a title at Duke. He certainly needs to get in better shape and study defensive rotations, but he still has a full training camp and another Summer League to get back into shape and improve his defensive IQ.

At the end of the day, Okafor is just a 19-year-old playing in Summer League, so it’s unreasonable to jump the gun based on a few scrimmages. He has a long career ahead of him, and he’s currently just getting his feet wet.

Okafor will take the court again for at least three more Summer League games in Las Vegas starting on Saturday, Jul. 11 against the Los Angeles Lakers.

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