Brooklyn Nets: Jahlil Okafor Gets New Start With Flatbush

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Nets Acquire Jahlil Okafor From Philadelphia

Brooklyn Nets: Ticket Out of Philadelphia is Happy Birthday Present for Jahlil Okafor.

General manager Sean Marks traded (30-year old/eight year veteran) forward Trevor Booker this past Thursday to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for center Jahlil Okafor, shooting guard Nik Stauskas, and a much appreciated 2019 second round draft pick.

Philadelphia selected Okafor with the third overall pick of the 2015 draft.  He weighs in at 6'11", 275lbs., and turns 22-years old on Dec. 15.

He averaged thirty minutes, 17.5 points, and seven rebounds, in 53 games as a 20-year old rookie, but had his minutes shaved last season with the arrival of Joel Embiid, whom this season for the Sixers is averaging a double-double, with 23.5 points and 11.1 rebounds per game.

Okafor averaged 22.7 minutes, 11.8 points, and 4.8 rebounds, through 50 games playing in Embiid's shadow last season.  Hashtags such as Did Not Play; Did Not Dress; Not With Team; further marred the back of his baseball card.  He has been glued to the bench ever since, making a mere two appearances this season through 25 games.

Although Coach Atkinson runs an up-tempo offense, Okafor should fit into the line-up no differently than did Brook Lopez (or the present cast of characters, for that matter).  Timofey Mozgov and others have proved somewhat inconsequential at center.  While Lopez is a superior outside shooter, it is hoped that Okafor will provide an effective low post presence.  I'm sure Atkinson will coach to his abilities by integrating some isolation because his potential for points is there.  However, his defense is said to be a completely different issue.  He should fit right in, then.  As the Nets are among the NBA leaders in scoring, but rank dead last in points allowed.

I digress...

This is a savvy acquisition by Sean Marks.  Be it coincidence or by design, he has now acquired the second and third overall selections of the 2015 NBA draft.  The Los Angeles Lakers selected Russell, now 21-years old, with the second overall pick ahead of Okafor.  The Nets acquire another young player with high upside, who fits in perfectly with this rebuild - not to mention a second round pick perhaps being the sweetest aspect of this latest deal.

Coach Atkinson and Flatbush fans must first play the waiting game before seeing them share the same floor.  Okafor is no doubt rusty, and will require time before regaining real game conditioning.  Meanwhile, there is still no timetable on D'Angelo Russell's return as he continues recovering from mid-November knee surgery.