Philadelphia 76ers: 5 goals for Jahlil Okafor in 2017-18

2. Develop a perimeter game

In the “pace and space” era, having more than one string to your bow is extremely valuable, if not essential, for traditional low-post players. And to this point of his career, Okafor has been strictly a low-post scorer.

Last season, 55.0 percent of Okafor’s field goal attempts were taken within five feet of the rim, and 78.3 percent overall within nine feet of the rim. Thus, not only does this limit Okafor’s versatility on the offensive end, it also hinders the way the Sixers can space the floor and attack on offense.

The numbers last season indicate the Sixers were significantly stronger on offense when Okafor was resting. When Okafor was on the floor, the Sixers produced an offensive rating (points per 100 possessions) of 95.1. However, this number exploded to 102.8 when he was resting.

Overall, Okafor converted at a 63.7 percent clip from within five feet of the rim. With all other field goal attempts, this conversion rate dropped alarmingly to a 36.3 percent clip.

This all stems from Okafor’s time at Duke, where the following was mentioned in his Draft Express scouting report:

"“A huge share of Okafor’s offense this season came with his back to the basket, where he shows a tremendous feel for the game and is nothing short of an absolutely devastating presence. He has the size to establish deep post-position, and the strength to move players around inside the paint once he catches the ball, showing an incredibly rare combination of power, quickness and finesse. “Extremely nimble, Okafor has outstanding footwork, and he does an excellent job of feeling out his defender and reacting appropriately, having all the counter moves in the book, and being capable of executing beautiful spin-moves with superb body control, often using the glass."

While this all true, and impressive, the combination of Embiid’s presence down-low, combined with “pace and space” nature of the modern game means Okafor’s game is going to need evolve and expand if he is to become a true player in the league.

But considering that he is still just 21, and with an abundance of talent, there is no reason to believe that Okafor isn’t up to the challenge.