In words that will sound all too familiar for the fan base, the debut for Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jahlil Okafor may be delayed. Okafor, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 Draft, has been dealing with knee soreness and his availability for the season opener is in jeopardy, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer:
The hope all along for coach Brett Brown was to have the third overall pick in good enough shape to be ready for the season opener on Oct. 28 in Boston. Recently, Brown said he’d like to have Okafor playing about 32 minutes a game. But a sore right knee has sidelined him for close to a week, thus putting him behind as far as on-court fitness is concerned and definitely delaying the 32-minute runs his coach was hoping for.
Okafor insists the knee injury is “minor,” and that may very well be true. However, John Finger of CSNPhilly.com adds, “Brown and the team’s training staff have allowed Okafor 17 to 21 minutes in the first three preseason games, and if he plays on Friday night, it likely will be for just 12 to 15 minutes.” That is, if Okafor even plays.
Bringing along the rookie slowly from injury, no matter how severe, is a smart move. Yes, the Sixers would like to get the most out of their high draft pick. Yes, Okafor’s presence as a big man merits attention. But this is a team that won 18 games last season. The rebuilding project is much bigger than Okafor’s status right from the start.
Eventually, though, the Sixers are going to have to put their full team on the floor.
(Via Philadelphia Inquirer)