The evolution of the game away from bigs who feasted in the paint and toward small ball taking off at almost exactly the moment former Philadelphia 76ers No. 3 pick Jahlil Okafor came into the league did the Duke alumnus no favors.
But it probably did not help Okafor’s career that his team’s general manager at the time, Bryan Colangelo, found himself embroiled in scandal once it was revealed Colangelo had been using a secret Twitter account to attack him, fellow Sixers big man Joel Embiid, and the prior Philadelphia GM Sam Hinkie, either. After the scandal fallout created an untenable situation, the 76ers dealt him to the Brooklyn Nets.
While it might not have seemed like it at the time, it helped set in motion the path that ultimately saw Okafor’s opportunities diminish as the league’s style of play underwent a tectonic shift.
Here is a ranking of the top five centers who have played for the Philadelphia 76ers. https://t.co/AFR8HRvt9d
— Sixers Wire (@SixersWire) October 31, 2022