Draft Profile: Jahlil Okafor

Opinions expressed on this page are solely those of the author(s) and don't represent the opinions of the Celtics front office.

By Taylor C. Snow

The hype surrounding Jahlil Okafor could not be rivaled by any other freshman in the country, as he entered the college basketball scene this past season. Tabbed the No. 1 played on the ESPN 100 recruiting class of 2014, he was highly regarded as the best back-to-the basket player the NCAA had seen in at least a decade. His large inside presence paid off in a big way, as he guided Duke to an NCAA Championship in April.

You know what you’re getting with Jahlil Okafor: a true low-post scorer who isn’t going to wow you with his athleticism. Okafor is the most refined and dangerous low-post scorer in the Draft. He has phenomenal feet and very soft hands. He seals well on his post-up attempts, but he could work to get better post-up position. His post repertoire is deep and eclectic, featuring both face-up and back-to-the-basket moves. With his back to the basket, he most often uses spin moves and jump hooks. I think his jump hook needs a little work, as he oftentimes leaves it short. While facing up, he is deceptively elusive off of the dribble for his general lack of athleticism. His handle is very reliable. He can finish with both hands around the basket but would very much prefer to finish with his right (and dominant) hand. I love the way he extends for slams after catching passes around the rim. Okafor does not like to take jump shots, but he can make them. I think his current range is up to about 15 feet, and I think that range will eventually extend to about 20 feet. He has a nice, fluid shooting motion. There are a few negatives to what he brings to the table at the offensive end. He doesn’t possess great leaping ability. He is a poor screener, oftentimes just going through the motions and settling for getting in the way of a defender. He needs to learn to set his feet and make contact with the defender, doing his best to pick that defender off and free up his guard. That must improve at the next level. He also does not possess great vision. He struggles when hit with a double-team and is very erratic with his passes. Okafor is a decent rebounder, but that can be attributed mostly to his size and length. He won’t get away with his current rebounding effort in the NBA, as he oftentimes becomes very lazy on box outs. Everyone in the NBA can compete with his size and length; he must learn to give top effort on the glass. Okafor’s great feet and reactions translate well to the defensive end. I’m convinced that he can be a good defender in the NBA, although I don’t expect him to ever become known as a shot blocker. He is rarely ever flat-out beat by an offensive player. He mirrors players well in the post and challenges shots pretty well. If and when he adds strength, he’ll absorb contact in the post much better and, in turn, will be able to better challenge shots. He has a nice, wide base while spread out to the perimeter and his great feet and reactions allow him to stay with more agile and athletic big men.

By Taylor C. Snow

Okafor was born on December 15, 1995 in Chicago, Ill., to Dacresha Lanett Benton and Chukwudi Obika Okafor. As an adolescent, he split time between his father’s home in Chicago, and mother’s in Moffett, Okla. Benton passed away when Okafor was nine years old, leaving him and his three siblings to be raised by his father and aunt Chinyere Okafor-Conley. He is a cousin of former NBA center Emeka Okafor, the No. 2 player selected in the 2004 NBA Draft. Okafor played high school ball at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in Chicago, though he was impressing college coaches well before he began his prep career; he received his first Division I scholarship offer in September of his freshman year. By his sophomore year, Okafor was a household name in Chicago, as he put up averages of 24.8 points, and 12.6 rebounds per game during his second high school season. He had similarly successful junior and senior campaigns, during the latter of which, he led Whitney Young to a 4A state title and was named the Morgan Wootten National High School player of the year. He also earned National Player of the Year honors from Parade and USA Today, was named Mr. Basketball of Illinois and garnered the No. 1 ranking on the ESPN 100 for the recruiting class of 2014. Okafor was named co-MVP of the 2014 McDonald’s All-American game (17 points, seven rebounds). During his time in high school, he also won gold medals at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship (2011) and at the World U17 (2012) and World U19 (2013) Championships. Okafor made an immediate impact during his freshman season at Duke, making 25 of the first 30 shots he attempted. He made more field goals (279) then anyone in the country, averaging 17.3 points per game while shooting 66.4 percent from the floor (second in the nation). The Wayman Tisdale Award-winner also racked up 8.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest and became the second member of his family to win a national championship, after Emeka did so in 2004 with Connecticut. Okafor declared for the NBA Draft on April 9.