Former NBA leader-in-chief Tabit will join the CBA's Fujian team. Before the words could be heard, another flower probing show came. According to domestic media reports, Jalil Okafor has arrived in China, and he is about to sign a contract with the Guangsha men's basketball team. The second phase of the CBA will end on January 28, and Okafor should not be able to catch up.
Okafor was born on December 15, 1995, just after turning 26. While Tabit is about to turn 35, the Headmaster is more bullish on Okafor's prospects in the CBA. Last offseason, the Pistons sent Okafor and Dumboia to the Nets, getting Jordan Jr. + four second-round picks + cash. On September 10, 2021, the Nets cut Okafor.
A week later, the Hawks announced that they had signed Okafor on an unprotected contract. On October 12, 2021, the Hawks also cut Okafor, who played in 2 preseason games for the Hawks, averaging 14 minutes per game, with only 3 points, 2 rebounds and 1.5 assists. The Hawks gave Okafor a chance, but his current abilities were no longer able to gain a foothold in the NBA.
This season, the league has suffered a shortage of employees, and many veterans have returned to the NBA, but still no team has given Okafor a contract. The 26-year-old Tanhualang can only say goodbye to the NBA and go to other leagues to find opportunities. Okafor played 247 regular season games in his NBA career, averaging 10.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game, far better than Tabit (2.2 points, 2.7 boards and 0.1 assists).
Okafor was a prominent figure in college, leading Duke to NCAA titles, winning the National Newcomer Award, and breaking Duke's record for freshman rebounds. As a freshman, Okafor averaged 17.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.4 blocks per game, shooting 66.4% from the field, a proper inside killer! Known as Duncan's successor!
Kentucky freshman Towns is also fierce, averaging 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. Some people will ask: Okafor's data is better than Downs', why is Downs a champion and Okafor is a tanhua? Towns played better for modern basketball and had a higher ceiling. Okafor is a traditional interior and does not have the ability to shoot three points.
The Timberwolves proved to be the right choice, with Towns shooting 39.8 percent from three-point range in his NBA career (averaging four shots per game), which is at the top of the line among centers. Throughout the 2020-21 season, Okafor made just nine three-point shots and scored two. If he had entered the NBA ten years earlier, Okafor might have had a better career!
Okafor played in 53 games in his rookie season, averaging 17.5 points, 7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. In his second season, he averaged 11.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1 block per game. With Embiid returning from injury, Okafor also lost his place in Philadelphia. He could only wear a suit and sit behind the bench.
Okafor's defense has always been a weakness, especially against small defenders, he has been repeatedly targeted. Fortunately, Okafor also has a good low-level singles technique, and adapting to the CBA should not be a big problem. At present, Guangsha is ranked second with 17 wins and 3 losses, do you think the addition of Okafor will give them the strength to compete for the championship?