Chicago native and Whitney Young star Jahlil Okafor was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the third pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.
Okafor is the third consecutive center the 76ers have drafted since 2013. Philadelphia has taken Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid and now Okafor.
Okafor averaged 17 points and eight rebounds per game during his lone season at Duke.
Jahlil Okafor scored the most post-up points in a season by any major conference player in the last 9 seasons. #NBADraft
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 25, 2015
ESPN NBA Draft analysis thinks the 6-foot-11 center doesn’t fit with the 76ers.
Okafor doesn’t fit. That’s clear. But it doesn’t mean it’s a bad choice, especially with Joel Embiid ailing and the Sixers still not totally sold on Nerlens Noel. I think Kristaps Porzingis and Emmanuel Mudiay were better picks and better fits in Philadelphia. Sam Hinkie thinks the draft is about assets, and I think he felt he grabbed the best asset left on the board. Hinkie will figure out how to untangle the triple towers of Embiid, Noel and Okafor later. My guess is he’ll keep Okafor and figure out what to do with the other guys.
Jahlil Okafor on what he'd tell people who questioned defense in his frosh year:"I would tell them I won a championship in my freshman year"
— Sean Deveney (@SeanDeveney) June 26, 2015
