Philadelphia 76ers: 5 goals for Jahlil Okafor in 2017-18
By Simon Smith
3. Staying on the court
This is clearly an area Okafor needs to address.
After just two seasons in the league, Okafor has already missed a total of 61 games. While a select amount of games were missed last season simply due to the presence of Joel Embiid, Okafor’s recurring knee issues are certainly a cause for concern for both him and the Sixers’ hierarchy.
The problem with Okafor is that when coming out of college, words thrown around top describe his activity on the floor included “lazy,” “nonchalant” and “disinterested.” While these may be partly attributable to his overall mindset, his overall level of fitness can also make it appear that he is not trying when being beaten on the glass or late on a rotation.
But in heartening news, it appears Okafor is looking to set this straight moving forward.
Recently, Okafor took to Instagram to demonstrate some of the work that he’s been putting in this offseason.
Considering head coach Brett Brown’s mantra of “defense, pace and space,” reaching a supreme level of fitness is the least Okafor can do in order to have the best possible chance to succeed this season. At just 21, and with his entire career ahead of him, the Sixers will be hoping this summer will be the turning point for Okafor in terms of his overall approach to the game.