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Jahlil Okafor should probably try harder on defense next time

Eric Freeman

Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor has never received much praise for his defense, and for good reason. In an era where NBA big men are expected to cover lots of ground and check multiple positions on the same possession, Okafor is a player who seems to be playing in the wrong area. He’s at his best with the back to his basket on offense and looks uncomfortable the second he’s asked to defend in space. It’s no surprise that his reputation his dipped precipitously since becoming the No. 3 pick in the 2015 draft.

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Yet no tallying of Okafor’s strengths and weaknesses can explain his lack of effort during this possession in the first quarter of the Sixers’ 125-98 loss to the Miami Heat. A missed runner for Goran Dragic turned into an offensive rebound for Rodney McGruder and a bucket for Hassan Whiteside. Through all that activity, Okafor barely moved.

Finally, we have an NBA center whose defensive effort best resembles the tall kid forced into playing for the sixth-grade JV squad. It’s been a long time coming, but we’re here!

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It was not a good game for Okafor on the whole. He finished with only seven points on 3-of-11 shooting and committed five turnovers in 22 minutes. He didn’t exactly take advantage of the opportunity to prove himself provided by Joel Embiid’s
season-ending meniscus tear.

There’s always the lottery, Sixers fans. Again.

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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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