Examining Jahlil Okafor’s fit with the Boston Celtics

https://www.celticsblog.com/2017/11/2/16593776/examining-jahlil-okafors-fit-with-the-boston-celtics-brad-stevens




Examining Jahlil Okafor’s fit with the Boston Celtics





Taking a look at what the Celtics could gain from adding Okafor to roster and what challenges the Philly big man could present.






by [url=https://www.sbnation.com/users/Michael DePrisco]Michael DePrisco[/url]@mike_deprisco  Nov 2, 2017, 3:00pm EDT









Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports



According to at least one source, the Boston Celtics are reportedly the most likely destination for Sixers center Jahlil Okafor if Philadelphia buys him out. The Sixers did not pick up Okafor’s fourth-year option, making him an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. Okafor requested a buyout from the team, but Philadelphia has maintained their stance of not giving up the third-year big man for free.


Boston has two open roster spots and a disabled player exception of $8.4 million following Gordon Hayward’s ankle injury on opening night. It all depends on what Philadelphia decides to do with him, but Okafor’s fit with Boston is interesting.


The 21-year-old center is a former third overall pick from the 2015 NBA Draft, but has had a turbulent start to his professional career. Okafor is known for his polished offensive game in the low post. He has great footwork and can effectively finish under the rim. Okafor has a rare skill in creating his own shot in the post, but his struggles have come due to deficiencies in important aspects of the modern NBA game. 


(There have also been some issues off the court.)


There is a noticeable trade off when looking at Okafor’s fit with the Celtics. Is his unique scoring ability worth the challenges that come with his shortcomings in defense and floor spacing?


Okafor’s biggest strength —arguably his only one— comes from his ability to create his own shot down low. He lost 20 pounds coming into this season, but still uses his near 260 pound frame to gain position in the post. His lateral quickness is pretty good as well, and Okafor’s footwork is polished for any NBA big, let alone a 21-year-old.

https://streamable.com/2v7zi


Jason Smith is a big body down low, and Okafor is able to keep his body controlled driving down the baseline. If you notice the ball control he has, which you can credit to skill but also due to his gigantic hands, helps him finish without having to put any spin on the ball off the glass.

Okafor’s confidence in his ball handling is unorthodox for bigs his size. He doesn’t have a consistent mid-range shot, as he took 78.2% of his shots within 10 feet last season. But Okafor can still manage to get into a post-up situation by dribbling into the paint with confidence. This could negate his lack of floor spacing in some settings if teams know he can get to the rim with ease if given some space. It’s something we’ve seen Ben Simmons and Giannis Antetokounmpo do this season, and Okafor is dealing with slower defenders.

Okafor placed in the 43rd percentile in post-ups with the seventh highest frequency last season. 
That certainly doesn’t scream efficiency, but the Celtics would likely help him become a more effective contributor on the offensive end. Brad Stevens always uses players in situations that cater to their strengths. The way Boston spreads the floor with shooters, Okafor would have a lot of opportunities to post up one defender without much worry of help defense.



The Celtics were eighth in the NBA in points per possession on post-ups last season  
http://stats.nba.com/teams/playtype-post-up/?sort=PPP&dir=1&Season=2016-17&SeasonType=Regular%20Season
and are on a similar trend sitting in fourth this season. 
http://stats.nba.com/teams/playtype-post-up/?sort=PPP&dir=1&Season=2017-18&SeasonType=Regular%20Season


Especially in match ups that favor Okafor, Stevens could unleash his post scoring within lineups that feature shooting and defensive versatility. In this case, Stevens could hide Okafor’s weaknesses on the defensive end and offensive perimeter, while utilizing his greatest strength in the perfect setting.


Against elite teams that like to go small, Stevens could match up to them easily with his main rotation, but could use Okafor in spurts to gain a unique advantage. Think about all the success Greg Monroe had against the Celtics before Aron Baynes showed up. If Okafor gets more attention down low, he’ll have to make kick out passes to those open shooters. That is a reasonable concern, and he ranked 30th among centers last season in potential assists.


Okafor’s defense is justifiably suspect. He doesn’t move very well, and lacks the versatility that a Stevens-led team demands. It also doesn’t help that he has had effort issues in the past.

https://streamable.com/f521u


In his defense, Okafor has never really had a defined role in Philadelphia. The inconsistent playing time points to that. When a player isn’t in a situation that is great for their development, it’s understandable for effort to become questionable, especially on a team in the Sixers that have won a total of 38 games in his first two seasons.


With the Celtics there’s a good chance that the effort goes up, and with mentors like Al Horfordand Aron Baynes, Okafor would have a hard time finding a better situation to grow as a defender and player. Okafor has a 7’6” wingspan, and has shown flashes as a shot blocker that could help him earn more minutes on a contender.

Okafor’s shortcomings on defense and floor spacing are evident in his body of work to this point, which raise plenty of doubt to whether he would fit on this Celtics team. However, Stevens and the Celtics can utilize his rare post scoring skill in short spurts that create match up problems for teams that lack good post defenders.


We’ll see if the Sixers budge on a buyout or decide to trade Okafor for a reasonable price, but the third year big man would pose as a low risk, high reward scenario for a Celtics team in need of front court depth and unique scoring punch off the bench. As a 21-year-old center, there is plenty of potential remaining in Okafor’s development.



bob



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https://www.yahoo.com/sports/report-celtics-unwilling-part-first-185742738.html



Report: Celtics unwilling to part with first-rounder for Okafor








NBC Sports Boston Report,NBC Sports Boston 28 minutes ago 





The Celtics have long been rumored to have an interest in acquiring 76ers big man Jahlil Okafor. Now, with Okafor wanting out in Philly and the Sixers shopping him, the Celtics are unwilling to part with a first-round pick to get him, the Boston Globe reported.


In Gary Washburn's Sunday NBA notes, he writes that a first-round pick is seen as too steep a price for the Celtics to pay for a player who'll be an unrestricted free agent in the summer. 


Philadelphia does not want to buy out his contract and then watch him sign with a conference rival with no compensation. The Celtics have long held interest in Okafor, but as more of a project than an immediate contributor. Boston is also not willing to part with a first-round pick for Okafor.


The Celtics have the room to acquire a player now that the NBA has granted them an $8.5 million disabled player exception after Gordon Hayward's season-ending injury. That, and Okafor's situation in Philly, fired up the trade rumors again. Still, the Celtics are apparently unwilling to part with one of their many first-rounders for a half-season rental.



bob
MY NOTE:  Good, Danny, Good.  The ONLY way I would give up a 1st rounder is if, in a few months, we see that we are going to end up with the 28th, 29th or 30th pick.  THEN I might consider it since the odds of those players sticking are weak but they have contract guarantees and we already have a ton of youth.  Maybe too much youth.  Colangelo doesn't want to see him buy out Okafor and end up with a conference competitor?  What do you think could happen next year?  If Okafor is such a bust that you won't even make a qualifying offer to keep control of him how much impact do you think he could/would have on a team this year, and this year is all you have left with him?  You showed your hand when you didn't pick up his option.  Every day that goes by that he's still on the Philly payroll is not only another day they are paying for a player who isn't going to play, it's another day LESS that he can be on another team and showing them the value you are asking from them for him.  You decided you no longer wanted to continue fishing with Jahlil Okafor, Brian Colangelo, all you have left is cutting bait and everybody knows it.


.

bob,

The worst thing I see with anything and everything recently with Okafor is that it seems like the 'ers have sent him to the basement and are not even feeding him.  Certainly not the best way to show your team's best side to not only Okafor but to all other players in the league.

If I were on another team right now, I am sure that this ugly situation would make me hesitant about ever playing for the 'ers.  It may behoove the 'ers to look at their actions in a different light.

The 'ers are worried about another team being able to pick this guy up for peanuts, but they may indeed be costing themselves many, many more dollars via the very negative public relations they are sending out to players around the league.

Free agents, take notice.

just send them a second rounder and get it over with Danny.

we have Smart, Baynes and Larkin as the only free agents next year. Okafor would join them and we can go over the cap to re-sign our own free agents anyway.

we still have our own first round pick and MAYBE the Lakers high lottery pick as well. NO use for any those second rounders this year or next anyway.

I just checked....Real GM says we don;t have any second round picks in the next two years...so.....NEVERMIND!!