At the age of 20, the spirited big man landed on the NBA court for the first time, and everyone behind him said: "In a few years, he will be a top star!" ”
He lived up to expectations, averaging 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in his rookie season. It seems that everything is so logical.
At the age of 26, before the start of the new season, he was once again cut with a basic salary. Injuries and playing style became his fatal injuries. No one will be surprised if he loses his job in the NBA altogether.
How high people used to expect from him, how lamentable he is now.
He was Jalil Okafor.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="47" > destined genius</h1>
At first, more fans knew Jalil Okafor because he had a distant cousin, Emeka Okafor, the 2004 chartist.
Jalil Okafor's parents were basketball players in college, and unfortunately, Okafor's mother died of lung disease when he was 9 years old.
Okafor was raised by his father and aunt, and unlike many black children, Okafor's family was not bad, which also allowed him to stay away from gangsters and drugs and focus on reading and playing. Both his proficiency in chess and saxophone have allowed Okafor to grow into a polite big boy.
Excellent genes make a basketball embryo. In high school, Okafor was already famous throughout the United States. At the U17 Men's Basketball World Championship, Okafor averaged the second highest 13.6 points per game for the United States team, averaging 8.2 rebounds per game and was named the MVP of the tournament.
Two years later, Okafor continued to evolve in horror, competing in the U19 World Championships, and Okafor shot 77% from the field. You know, he doesn't just have a strong tackle under the basket, but also some mid-range jump shots!
Before entering the NCAA, Okafor was already the object of competition among various universities, and he chose Duke. One is Duke's popularity, the other is that there are old K coaches who are good at cultivating young people, and it is very important that Duke promises to be on the offensive end of the new season, and everything revolves around Okafor.
With a height of 2.11 meters, an arm span of 2.26 meters, solid footing under the basket, and a soft feel, he is a nightmare for defenders. On the NCAA floor, Okafor seemed out of place. Because, he stands out too much.
In the 14-15 season, Okafor led Duke to the NCAA Championship. With an average of 17.3 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, Okafor has won consecutive awards for The Atlantic Coast League Rookie, Atlantic Coast League Player of the Year, and National Rookie of the Year.
In addition, he broke three all-time Duke records: doubles per game, offensive rebounds, total rebounds, and dunks.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="46" > fleeting splendor</h1>
The 2015 draft was a feast for big men, with Towns being selected by the Timberwolves with the first pick, the Lakers stealing Russell, and Philadelphia selecting Okafor with the third pick. Behind him was Porzingis, chosen by the Knicks.
Regarding the potential of Okafor, there is no need to repeat it, a simple sentence can summarize how optimistic the outside world is about the future of Okafor. He was hailed as the next Duncan!
Yes, the same big man. The same solid basic skills, the same excellent footsteps, the same soft feel... Philadelphia certainly knew the importance of Okafor.
In his rookie season, Okafor won unlimited firing rights, and he also lived up to expectations, averaging 17.5 points, 7.0 rebounds per game, shooting 50.8% from the field, and was selected as the best rookie team.
In philadelphia, which is full of waste, Okafor is the spark that lights people's hopes, shining brightly and dazzlingly.
On the road to supergiant, what else can stop Okafor – injury!
Unfortunately, in the 16-17 season, Okafor was reimbursed after playing 50 games. Many fans and the media will not expect that this injury will make Okafor's career take a sharp turn.
Because, everyone forgets, on the bench in Philadelphia, there is a Embiid who entered the league a year earlier than Okafor and has been reimbursed for two consecutive seasons!
In the 17-18 season, the Emperor ushered in a rookie season that was two years late, averaging 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. In the coming years, Philadelphia's interior line, and even the entire team, will belong to him.
What about Okafor? After just two games since returning from injury, he was swept out of the house and sent to the Nets. It was a 3-for-1 deal, with the Nets sending Trevo Booker for Okafor, Stauskas and a second-round pick in 19 years.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="48" > the tanhua that was swept away by the torrent of the times</h1>
The reality is harsh, and that's what Okafor is about. As the league gradually "small balls" and the decline of big men without projection ability, Okafor is one of the representatives.
When you are no longer the core of a team, all your shortcomings will be exposed. Okafor's slow movements tend to be the focus of the opponent's attack.
Okafor, abandoned.
The Nets didn't give him many chances, averaging 6.4 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, and at the end of the season, Okafor entered the market. The New Orleans Pelicans sent a two-year base salary contract with a total salary of 3.26 million!
If you put it two years ago, this would have been unimaginable, but that's the real value of Okafor. In order to stay in the league, and also to prove himself, Okafor had to accept!
In the Pelicans' two seasons, Okafor averaged 8+4 per game, and when replacing Thick Brow as the starting center, Okafor could even hand over 13.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. However, what the outside world sees is still his shortcomings on the defensive end.
In the summer of 2020, Okafor was once again pushed into the market. Another two-year-old pay contract, he became a member of the Detroit Pistons.
It's another team to be scrapped, and it seems that this is already Okafor's best chance. Unfortunately, Casey didn't trust him either, and repeated injuries and fragmented playing time dropped Okafor's average to 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.
Many fans can't help but ask, what is the difference between Okafor and Okafor?
We intercepted Okafor's rookie season and 20-21 shooting stats. As can be seen from the chart, although there is an objective existence of a decrease in the total number of shots, Okafor's rookie season has made 212 mid-range shots, and in the 20-21 season, it has dropped to 9!
Another list of Okafor's career statistics can also be found that his three-point projection has hardly changed since he first entered the league. This year, the center does not show a three-pointer, and it is too difficult to eat and drink well in the league.
We also captured Okafor's rookie season, 18-19 season, 20-21 shooting map. It can also be seen that Okafor has significantly reduced his mid-range shots, he is also adapting to the league, but he has given up his strengths, but his shortcomings have not improved, and Okafor has played in the basket and empty-handed.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="42" > Conclusion:</h1>
This summer, when the Nets and pistons made a deal with Jordan Jr., Okafor returned to Brooklyn again, and he knew that he was not just a supporting role in the deal, but also an outcast in the deal.
On September 10, Beijing time, the Nets officially cut Okafor. In this way, the 25-year-old Tanhua had to run again to stay in the league.
The torrent of the times is unstoppable, if born 10 years earlier, Okafor may have already earned a lot of money, and even looked forward to honor. But now, can Okafor remain in the NBA?