Jahlil Okafor was expected by many to be the number one overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, so when the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Lakers passed on him the Philadelphia 76ers were happy to take him third overall. Okafor is being picked by many to win Rookie of the Year, and there are plenty of people who think he will be a perennial All-Star. Okafor is even drawing comparisons to one of the greatest players of this generation in Tim Duncan, according to CSN Philly.
Head coach Brett Brown was asked in an interview if Okafor could possibly become the next Tim Duncan, and Brown answered by saying that he has some work to do but it is possible.
"I think if we can help him with his rebounding and help him with his defense, offensively, there are similarities. We've got to help grow him in those other areas," said Brown.
Brown never flat-out said that Okafor can or will be the next Duncan, but those comments are high praise for Okafor's offensive game. Okafor definitely does need work on the defensive side of the ball, as he struggled against the pick and roll in his one year at Duke, but his offensive talent is undeniable. Okafor has great hands, great footwork, a vast array of low-post moves and can even handle the ball well for a big man.
As a freshman at Duke, Okafor won ACC Player of the Year - the first freshman to ever do so - while averaging 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game on 66 percent shooting from the field. Okafor was the top recruit coming out of high school and came into Duke with high expectations, but he somehow exceeded those expectations in his one year of college.
Okafor seems to have all of the tools to become a great player at the NBA level. Comparing him to Duncan might be a bit much, as Duncan will likely go down as the greatest power forward of all time and one of the best players of all time. But the fact that comparisons can even be made between the two at all shows how talented Okafor really is and how high the ceiling is for this 19-year-old.
