It’s been rumored that the Philadelphia 76ers really want to trade Jahlil Okafor. We got a good glimpse as to why Wednesday night.
The Sixers were locked in a pretty tight game early with the Miami Heat when center Hassan Whiteside scored a bucket after a Heat offensive rebound. Pretty standard, right?
It is, until you focus on the defense — or complete lack thereof — Okafor played on the possession.
The Philly big man barely moved as Goran Dragic launched a floater in front of him, and still didn’t budge as Miami players scrambled for the offensive board.
We’re sure Okafor will be hearing about this sequence in the Sixers’ next film session.
More importantly, this complete lack of effort might suggest why Philly didn’t — or couldn’t — move Okafor at the trade deadline. The 21-year-old is a traditional low-post player, a mold that’s become increasingly outdated in today’s NBA, and concerns about his defense and effort certainly are on display here.
Of course, this is just one defensive sequence of many for the young center, but it certainly doesn’t help his future trade stock.
Thumbnail photo via Noah K. Murray/USA TODAY Sports Images
