Why the Jahlil Okafor Hate?

Tim Duncan retired yesterday, after 19 seasons in the NBA. Many people forget this, Duncan was not a “one and done,” or an out-of-high school 18 year old when he entered the league. Duncan entered the NBA after graduating from Wake Forest, after playing a full college career.

Had Jahlil Okafor did the same, he would be entering his junior year at Duke, the school where he entered as the top prospect in the nation two seasons ago. All he did in his time there was win a national title, and yet he fell to number three on the draft board. The Sixers took him there, and he proceeded to average 17.5 points, 7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game as a rookie. The kid is not old enough to legally drink or rent a car, but he’s at least a productive offensive player in the NBA already. That hasn’t been good enough for some.

Okafor had a lot of trade rumors swirling around him, but the center/power forward is still a Sixers front-court staple. The rumors did bother him some, which is understandable, and yet I doubt they will go away anytime soon. I’m sure the beatings from the advanced metrics community also aren’t helping. It all seems odd to see people turn on this player so quickly, he’s played one season.

Jahlil Okafor is an extremely young player. Despite the push to have players “grow up” much faster, it’s important to note that Okafor’s game will be growing up for a while. At one time, players his age were concerned about what bracket they would end up in for March Madness. For Okafor, that time to grow up just isn’t being afforded.