Jahlil Okafor was granted his wish to leave the 76ers in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets. While the trade itself will have people debating over who won and lost, I’m going to take a closer look at Jahlil Okafor’s fit with the Nets based on their team style. As long as the Nets remain with their current play-style, Okafor will struggle to fit in.
Differences in Playstyle
The Nets are notorious for playing fast, and the only time Okafor might be able to keep up is when he’s crossing the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. In fact, the Nets’ pace (how many possessions a team has per game) is third in the NBA, one spot above the 76ers that chose to bench the big man. This fast play could limit Okafor’s minutes and usage, because his 270-pound frame can only go so fast for so long. This is the least of the issues that Okafor will face on the Nets, though. Fitness is always improvable. But Okafor’s play-style will pose another issue for a run-and-gun Brooklyn squad.
Now, if you haven’t seen him play, Jah is a post-isolation specialist. His post-up skills are undeniable, but all other aspects of his game are suspect. His Value Over Replacement is negative, he fouls a lot, and he can neither pass well nor shoot the 3. Unfortunately for Okafor, the Nets already average 45 points in the paint per game, tied for 11th in the NBA. If the Nets want to keep playing their way, with layups, threes, and fast possessions, Okafor is going to have to re-invent his play-style. A slow-mo post-isolationist will not carve out a major role in Brooklyn. To couple with this roadblock, Jahlil Okafor doesn’t address the Nets’ worst issues.
Defense
The Nets are defensively challenged. They are in the bottom third in steals and blocks per game as well as defensive rating. Okafor did not do very well defensively during his time with the 76ers. They gave up 108 points per 100 possessions when Okafor took the court with them. Simply put, the Nets are bad at defense, and so is Jahlil Okafor.
Rebounding
Yet another need that the Nets need to address is rebounding. They just traded their second-best rebounder in Trevor Booker, and they were already 20th in Rebound percentage, a statistic that looks at how many rebounds a team gets compared to their opponents. Jahlil Okafor does not rebound well. His career rebound percentage is 12.4%. To give that context, Nets Small Forward DeMarre Carroll has a rebound percentage of 12.5% this season. Hopefully, Okafor shows some rebounding chops, or they will be sorely lacking in that category.
Passing
Finally, the Nets don’t pass very well. Their assist-to-turnover ratio is 22nd in the NBA, and they’re exactly 15th in assist per game totals. Already shaky, the Nets have shipped off their best passing big man in Trevor Booker. Okafor averages 1.2 assists and 2.1 turnovers per game. The Nets have jettisoned a big man who can at least sometimes find the open man for one that gets bonafide tunnel vision. Already struggling with sub-par passing, the Nets will need to drastically improve their ball movement.
Upside
Now, this is not a doom-and-gloom article ripping the Nets for acquiring a recent first-round pick for an aging vet. If Jahlil Okafor can start finding teammates more, the Nets can surround him with shooters on post-isolations and give him room to either work one-on-one or dish for an open three. Also, D’Angelo Russell-Jahlil Okafor pick-and-rolls should turn out well. And, of course, Okafor is only 22. There’s lots of time and room for him to grow along with his back-court buddy. But as it stands right now, he’ll be somewhat of an awkward fit.
Agree? Disagree? Feel free to give me a shout @PerSourcesSam on Twitter! Hope you enjoyed!