Jahlil Okafor is trying to salvage his career in New Orleans with a new physique and the encouragement of some old friends.
After being benched in Philadelphia and Brooklyn, Okafor worked diligently this summer to return to the form that made him a top high school prospect, third overall pick out of Duke and a 17-point per game scorer his rookie season.
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“It was a good experience,” Okafor replied when asked how he’d summarize his recent tenure with Brooklyn. “I think, just in the early stages of my career, I’m just able to pick and learn from different organizations and different people. It’s definitely an experience I’m grateful for. All those guys there, they were great to me, and I can’t say enough about the guys on that team. The guys on that team I really felt, a lot of those guys I had just met, but I felt like I had known them my entire life, and I still talk to a lot of those guys to this day. I’m just grateful to have been there because those guys that were on that team I formed a bond with, and I’m very grateful for it.”
Last season’s Most Improved Player of the Year finalist, Spencer Dinwiddie, was among the Nets Okafor befriended as the two had lockers next to each other.
“What did he average, 17 and seven?” Dinwiddie said in April, referring to Okafor’s rookie year. “That’s crazy. You know what I mean? That’s really, really good. I think that’s the most surprising part of it. If he had been a guy who came out and was just a bust from the jump, those happen from time to time, and it just is what it is. Maybe the situation or whatever didn’t work out, but it’s life, and it’s the league. Then you would be less surprised. I think when somebody comes out and has basically a Rookie of the Year-caliber year and his second and third year doesn’t play, that’s always very surprising.”
What’s more surprising is how rapidly Okafor’s value around the league declined since that rookie season. This summer, the only team to express any significant interest in Okafor was the Pelicans. With no other choice, Okafor signed a partially guaranteed two-year deal with New Orleans, who had previously expressed trade interest in Okafor during his second season with the 76ers and kept tabs on him since.
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Now, after looking himself in the mirror and “realizing that there were some changes that needed to be made,” as Okafor put it, the 6-foot-11 center spent the summer working with trainers David Alexander and Idan Ravin to improve his physique. Okafor now weighs between 250 and 255 pounds and is at six percent body fat.
“I think in Jahlil’s case, you’re talking about a 22-year-old that’s kind of bounced around,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. “Let’s not forget that he did average almost 15 points a game in this league for a whole season (17.5 points his rookie season) one year. I just think, once again, it’s an opportunity to have a kid that was drafted high, but I don’t really think that defines a guy anyway. There have been a lot of guys in this league who weren’t drafted. Ben Wallace wasn’t drafted, and there have been a lot of guys that have been high draft choices that just hadn’t worked out. We feel good about Jahlil and what I think he brings to the table. We’re hoping our system is a little bit better fit than the other couple of systems he’s played in.”
Okafor is an old-school center who can score in the post with his back to the basket or facing up his defender while on either side of the block and attacking the paint with a soft touch around the rim and calculated footwork. The Pelicans have always paired franchise superstar Anthony Davis with a true center in years past such as Robin Lopez, Omer Asik, and DeMarcus Cousins to help limit the physical wear and tear on his body against bigger centers. Last season, Davis spent more time at center after Cousins suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. Nikola Mirotic moved into the starting lineup at forward. This season, New Orleans’ frontcourt features Davis, Mirotic, Julius Randle, Cheick Diallo, Alexis Ajinca and Okafor.
“Coach Gentry, his message to me is just to play my game,” Okafor said. “He’s talked to me several times and let me know just play my game, find my confidence, get comfortable and he believes in me. Hearing that from a head coach means a lot. He has the love and respect of all his players. He’s such a great person and a great coach. I’m happy to be under his leadership.”
Okafor, who admitted that he was in a “dark place” and dealt with depression and anxiety in a recent interview with colleague Shams Charania, has prior relationships with Davis and Pelicans director of player personnel David Booth to help him adjust. Davis and Okafor both spent parts of their childhood in Chicago. Booth, who was an assistant coach for DePaul University in Chicago, offered Okafor his first scholarship in the eighth grade.
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“That’s the number one step for him – improving his body – and he took care of his body,” Davis said. “He still is, and you can see it affecting the way he played on the floor, so if he just continues to do what he’s been doing over the summer to get better, he’s going to be fine. He’s been doing great things for us in training camp and practices.”
Pelicans starting point guard Elfrid Payton has also been impressed with Okafor throughout training camp.
“To me, he never lost it,” Payton said. “I think a lot of people counted him out for whatever reason whether it be injuries or what’s said about him. I can’t really speak because I wasn’t there in Philly or Brooklyn, whatever happened there. I always knew that he was a talented individual. Sometimes it’s just about opportunity. As far as his transformation, he does look way more fit, and he’s taken care of his body.”
.@JahlilOkafor Big Jah came to play. #DoItBIG pic.twitter.com/AaWIdxFZ1l
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 1, 2018
Okafor looked like a new man in his first preseason game with the Pelicans. He played 17 minutes and had eight points, seven rebounds, two blocks, and one assist in a homecoming game against the Chicago Bulls on the road. However, Okafor suffered a sprained right ankle and missed the rest of the preseason.
Despite that, Okafor showed enough in training camp and that first game to earn a spot on New Orleans’ final roster heading into the regular season.
“While it is very important that he has transformed his body, the biggest measure of this turnaround will be if he can regain the confidence he once had when he first entered the league,” one NBA executive said. “That will define his role and dictate whether or not this is his final stop. And regaining that confident form is easier said than done. There is still a place for a guy who can score in the low post if he is capable of consistently running both ends of the floor.”
Three seasons removed from his promising rookie campaign and future All-Star expectations, Okafor’s goals have simplified long-term.
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“Just for me to be the best player that I can be, the best person that I can be and just continue to learn and continue to play the game I love,” Okafor said. “I’m in a good place physically and mentally. I’m happy playing the game that I love, so I’m just trying to do the most that I can and be the best basketball player that I can be.”
After receiving little interest on the free agent market, Okafor’s third team will have to be the charm, or he could be out of the league for good. In New Orleans, the man who first believed in his abilities as an eighth-grader will be there along the way to help him adjust, but it’s up to the physically transformed Okafor to make the most of his opportunity. If he doesn’t, it could be his last chance in the league.
(Top photo: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports)