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2016 NBA Rookie Ladder: Top 10 Risers And Fallers

By Nathan Grubel

Mar 17, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay (0) drives on Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay (0) drives on Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) holds the ball away from Washington Wizards forward Jared Dudley (1) during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) holds the ball away from Washington Wizards forward Jared Dudley (1) during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

7. Jahlil Okafor, Philadelphia 76ers

Jahlil Okafor was something of a mixed bag this season. He was a dominant big man down low in terms of scoring, and he even showed off a slightly improved free throw stroke and touch from the mid-range.

Even though he’s out for the remainder of the year due to a meniscus injury, Okafor will finish second among rookies in scoring at 17.5 points per game on 50.8 percent shooting from the field. That’s not bad for any talent in their first season, and many evaluators came away impressed with his ability to get buckets against virtually anyone in the league.

But those hoping for anything more than points in the paint from Okafor were left severely disappointed with the rest of his game.

Okafor lowered his overall stock because of his lack of defense and rebounding for a center. Yes he was great in one specific area but it’s important for any big to have the ability to lock down the paint and rebound on both ends of the floor.

In many ways he lived up to my expectations before the draft of being a Brook Lopez 2.0: a player who could get his on offense but couldn’t quite do much of anything else, at least consistently.

Can Okafor improve in these areas? On defense he can learn more about the NBA game and get in better shape to make an impact, but rebounding is one of those skills that generally translates pretty evenly from college to the professional level. I’m not sure he’ll ever be as good on the glass as he should, but his potential as an offensive weapon is as bright as ever.

With the way the league is going, however, I don’t know how many teams want a slow halfcourt scoring machine who doesn’t bring much else to the table.

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