Drooling Over Potential: Jahlil Okafor Dominates Presbyterian In His College Debut
Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports
On Friday night, we had a look at what could be when Jahlil Okafor, heralded by many as the preseason favorite to be the top pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, made his college debut.
Okafor played just 23 minutes in the Duke Blue Devil’s 69 point victory against Presbyterian, but he left his fingerprints all over the game. During his time on the floor, the freshman scored 19 points on a near perfect 9-for-10 shooting, pulled down six rebounds, dished out four assists and blocked one shot.
Okafor made an impact on both ends of the court. On the first defensive possession of the game for the Blue Devils, he battled with William Truss in the paint and prevented an easy look by blocking his shot at the rim. Five possessions later, Okafor was on the receiving end of a pass from Quinn Cook, setting him up for a wide open dunk for his first points of the season.
It all took off from there.
The Blue Devils ran most of their offense through Okafor as the game progressed. When Presbyterian opted not to double team him, he took advantage by attacking his man one-on-one. When they did double team him, he kept his cool, dishing the ball out to an open teammate on the perimeter while continuing to fight for position on the low block. The Blue Devils then swung the ball around for an open look or gave the ball back to Okafor in his sweet spot down low.
What’s most impressive about Okafor is his patience and the ease at which he operates on the offensive end. He’s aggressive in the open court, which creates opportunities for both himself and his teammates. On the block, his moves are a seamless blend of power and fluidity, making him a tough guard for low post defenders. He even showcased a face-up jumper from just outside the paint when given the space. When Okafor didn’t have the ball in his hands, he moved to the open spot and created an easy seam for his teammates to pass him the ball.
Okafor was much quieter in the second half of the game for two main reasons:
- The game was already over. There was no use in playing more minutes seeing as the Blue Devils led 57-19 at the half.
- Presbyterian changed up their defense. They made a conservative effort to get the ball out of Okafor’s hands, especially in half court sets. At times, there were three players around him. Okafor had little-to-no room to operate on the low block.
The Blue Devils responded in the best way possible: knocking down threes, and doing so rather efficiently (16-for-31). Nevertheless, it’ll be interesting to see how they respond this season when their shots aren’t falling like they were on Friday night and teams are packing the paint to prevent Okafor’s looks. His ability to run the court and attack the glass will set him up for easy opportunities on a nightly basis, but he might not have the room to create as much for himself in half court sets at times.
It’s only one game and Blue Devils made easy pickings of Presbyterian. We can’t take too much away from one impressive outing against an unranked team. Even with that in mind, it’s hard not to get excited about Okafor’s potential when he plays as well as he did on Friday night. He made the game look easy in his college debut. For an 18 year old who is one of the most hyped freshmen of recent memory, that’s damn impressive and certainly noteworthy.
The Okafor era has officially begun in Durham, North Carolina. Let the drooling commence.