Height: 6-11
Weight: 270 lb
Year: Freshman
Position: Center
NBA Combine Measurements and Times: Did not participate
Draft Projection: Top 5
2014-2015 NCAA Statistics: 17.3 PPG 8.5 RPG 1.4 BLK 66.4 FG% 51.0 FT%
NBA Player Comparison: Greg Monroe
Jahlil Okafor proved to us in his freshman year that he was the best offensive big man in college basketball. It would have been nice to see Okafor stay at least one more year at Duke to work on his weaknesses, but it’s hard to stay when you are hearing that you will be drafted as one of the first few picks in the draft. Still, we have to acknowledge the brilliance of the 19 year old’s offensive game. Jahlil has incredible ball control, whether he is driving to the lane from the elbow or backing down his defender in the low post. His quickness in the low post is exceptional and something we haven’t seen in a long time from a college basketball player with his size.
There are major weaknesses that Jahlil possesses. A free throw percentage right around 50% is just not acceptable. He has shown that he can knock them down, so it must be a mental problem with him, but if he wants to be a serious impact player in this league, he has to get that up. The defensive struggles have been notable and hopefully he lands somewhere with veteran leadership to help him be more aggressive defensively. Minnesota would probably be the best fit with Garnett as one of the best possible defensive mentors you could ask for.
Okafor’s game is quite similar to Greg Monroe’s. They both are relentless around the rim and have incredible offensive abilities. Both lack the ability to protect the rim and struggle against some of the better offensive centers. The quick mini hook that Monroe is so accustomed to using looks utterly similar to Okafor’s hook shot. They both have a similar offensive arsenal and if Jahlil continues to improve his repertoire, he can one day be a very solid starting center. He doesn’t quite have the ceiling that Towns has, but still has enough potential to be a very good NBA player.
Future Professional Potential: All-Star
