’For score
Execs, scouts say Nets got ‘gifted’ player in 76ers trade
MEXICO CITY — New Net Jahlil Okafor is a sieve on defense and a black hole on offense, according to scouts and executives that spoke with The Post. But they also agreed the 21-year-old is also a good young player who was wronged in Philadelphia, a talented offensive threat who will score in Brooklyn, and a gamble well worth taking for a rebuilding Nets team. “He’s a gifted offensive player. He’s somewhat of relic because his game is primarily in the post, that’s one reason they moved away from him,” an Eastern Conference scout told The Post. “The game changed fairly dramatically fairly recently, and he doesn’t fit. “He’s going to score. He’s going to score with the Nets, no doubt. If he gets the minutes, he can be a high teens scorer, minimum.” Okafor already averaged 17.5 points as a rookie, but is an odd fit for the Nets’ floor-spacing offense. While he has good footwork and post moves, he has hit just one career 3, is an unwilling passer and has had his defense and effort questioned. Still, the scout felt Okafor’s passion and passing can be improved with work, and Yahoo Sports reported Okafor is “extremely happy” about the move. “In college he was seemingly a better passer. Maybe it was their situation in Philly, but he got to Philly and he was somewhat of a black hole,” the scout said. “Once he gets in a rotation and knows he’s going to play, maybe he won’t be so shot-hungry. But when they threw him the ball it was never seen from again. “He’s got limited range but he has face-up elbow game. He’s not going to be on the wing, but he can be on the elbow. The rest of his game isn’t great. He’s not a great defensive player, [but] I scouted him in college and he could be. His effort’s questionable. He’s not real athletic, not a shot-blocker. He was a big-time offensive rebounder in college, [but] isn’t the dominant offensive rebounder he’d been.”
Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said Okafor will have to earn his minutes, but he and general manager Sean Marks claim their talks with the Duke product were encouraging. Meanwhile, an NBA executive said Brooklyn did well to land the talented big man.
“He’s a nice kid, I’ve heard,” the Eastern Conference executive said. “Their guys just soured on him. He didn’t pick up things real quickly, there were a couple incidents, driving across the bridge. I don’t think they thought he was a bad kid. [There was] nothing subsequent to my knowledge.”
That aforementioned “driving across the bridge” was getting pulled over doing 108 mph on the Ben Franklin Bridge. There was also the argument outside a Philadel- phia nightclub during which a gun was drawn and police showed up, and the fight outside a Boston nightclub. All three incidents occurred during his rookie campaign.
Despite that, the executive said Okafor is a good pickup for the Nets. Philadelphia GM Bryan Colangelo admitted they had been talking to the Nets about Okafor since the summer, but Marks waited out the initial demands for a first-round pick and got him in return for 30-year-old Trevor Booker, and even extracted a second-round pick himself.
“It’s good deal for both teams. They pushed him to curb. I don’t think it was fair,” the Eastern Conference executive said. “What’s the difference between him and Enes Kanter? He’s not a defender. He’s a black hole post-up guy. Okafor is a similar guy, nobody is killing Kanter, but Okafor is taking a beating.
“Is he a starting player on a good team? I don’t think so. But you could see him being a significant-minute backup who comes in and scores. ... For what they gave up [it’s a good deal]. It was a good value player on their part, and they got a pick, too. He’s in better shape this year. He was heavy early in his career. But [the 76ers] just diminished his value by all the comments they made, not playing him.”