Solid debut for the 3rd overall pick. @JahlilOkafor finishes with 20 & 9 on the night. pic.twitter.com/azV0p0TiFr
— Philadelphia 76ers (@Sixers) July 7, 2015
Patrick Causey, on Twitter @PhillySportsJD
The Philadelphia 76ers made their summer league debut this evening, losing to the San Antonio Spurs 74-71. But the outcome of a summer league game is largely irrelevant. The more important thing for the Sixers future is how some of the individuals played during the game, including first round pick Jahlil Okafor.
Okafor turned in a solid game, scoring 20 points, grabbing 9 boards, and getting 2 blocks, while shooting 10 of 22 from the field. Parsing those numbers out further: Okafor started slow, shooting 3-11 from the field in the first half, shaking off the rust from almost five months off of competitive basketball. But Okafor turned it on in the second half, shooting 7-11 from the field. He grabbed five offensive boards, showed excellent skill in the low post and even flashed some range from 15-plus feet out.
While his jump shot was encouraging — Okafor also hit a jumper off a spin move from 18 feet out — it was his play on the block that was most impressive.
Okafor put on a clinic in the third quarter, using a combination of footwork and low post moves that are advanced beyond his years. Watch Okafor split these defenders with a hop step and hit the fade away jumper with ease:
This is the Okafor play I was referring to, via @NBA_Spen: https://t.co/dBlmtnl22l
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) July 7, 2015
There are not many big men in the NBA that can make that move right now. And Okafor is only 19.
Here are more of Okafor's highlights from his debut last night, courtesy of Sixers.com:
Miss @JahlilOkafor's debut performance? Here's a minute plus of him doing work. #SummerSixers https://t.co/sYP2X2L6L3
— Philadelphia 76ers (@Sixers) July 7, 2015
(Side comment, I think my favorite part of this entire video is at the :57 second mark after Okafor scored the And-1. Listen closely enough, and you'll hear the video catching a fan quoting Dumb & Dumber: "And totally redeem yourself!"). Classic.
Right about now would be a good time to remind you that this is just the summer league, so we should not go overboard with the hype. Okafor is competing against some players that likely won't make it in the NBA, so it is unrealistic to expect this type of play to immediately carry over into the regular season. And Okafor struggled in some areas: again, he started off shooting 3-11, he went 0-4 from the charity stripe,and had a number of avoidable turnovers, including one at the end of the game when he stepped out of bounds trying to make a cross court pass.
But Okafor has not played a game of competitive basketball in almost five months, so the rust was to be expected. And he is only 19, so there is no reason — at least yet — to assume that some of these mistakes cannot be corrected.
Putting those issues aside, there is a lot to get excited about with Okafor's game. His low post moves, footwork and soft touch are going to give him a considerable advantage in the low post this year. He also flashed his functional athleticism, stealing a ball and taking it coast to coast on one play, and grabbing the board and running the floor for an easy lay in on another. If he improves his effort on the defensive side of the ball and hits a jumper regularity, the sky is the limit for Big Jah.
Perhaps my favorite part of last night was Okafor's reaction to his performance:
Jahlil Okafor was asked to grade his 20/9/2 debut. He gave it a C-.
— Max Rappaport (@MaxRappaport) July 7, 2015
If that is a C-, I cannot wait to see an A.
Outside of Okafor, the rest of the 76ers turned in an uneven performance.
We all know about Jerami Grant's tremendous physical tools, but I was most interested in seeing whether he improved his jump shot. While Grant was able to use his athleticism to get to the rim — and free throw line — at will, he shot only 4 of 13 from the field and had a few really bad misses, including a three point shot that hit just hit the backboard. Grant will be a key rotation player for the Sixers this year, but it ill be critical for Grant to improve his shooting if he is going to solidify his position as a key cog in the Sixers plans moving forward
Richaun Holmes, selected by the Sixers with the 37th-overall pick in last month’s draft, will have a good shot of making the team this year if he continues this play. While he only logged 16 minutes, he finished with nine points (3/6 FG), two steals, and an impressive chase down from behind blocked shot. He needs to work on his jump shot, but Holmes was very active on the boards and the defensive side of the ball.
Another player to keep an eye on is T.J. McConnell, who went undrafted out of the University of Arizona. McConnell impressed with his grit and hustle and was able to create several chances for his teammates throughout the game. As Derek Bodner points out, McConnell had a huge impact on the game outside of your traditional stats:
The #sixers are +12 in the 21 minutes McConnell has played. -15 in the 12 minutes he's been on the bench.
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) July 7, 2015
While his shot looked like a work in progress, don't be surprised if McConnell is a player that we see a few times this year given the dearth of quality options at the point for the Sixers.
Next up, the 76ers take on the Boston Celtics tomorrow at 7 p.m. Check back here for more updates throughout the summer league.
