One member of the New Orleans Pelicans made Bleacher Report’s list of biggest free agent steals, but we respectfully disagree.
The New Orleans Pelicans will have to find value in free agency if they want to keep a deep bench around their exciting young core. We’ve outlined some of the many possibilities here, and a few more here and one last recap here.
Recently, Bleacher Report did their own list of biggest free agent steals, many of which were mentioned by us as good fits for the New Orleans Pelicans.
This list includes some lesser-known players, guys who need a second chance in a new home and players who are poised to break out and reach a new level of play.
One surprising addition to the list was the Pelicans’ own Jahlil Okafor. The article broke down some of Okafor’s strengths and weaknesses before predicting how he might benefit a contender:
"“He’ll need to be a second-unit star for a playoff-caliber team in need of interior heft, like the Warriors or Trail Blazers.”"
We agree that Okafor could add value to someone’s bench, but as far as him being a steal in free agency, not so much.
Okafor is too one-dimensional
It’s not hard to envision Okafor breathing some life into his career on a new team. He was buried deep on the New Orleans Pelicans’ bench and could undoubtedly find a team who would give him some run.
His career could mirror someone like Al Jefferson, who was able to be an effective post scorer for the Hornets late in his career.
Even though the NBA was trending away from the post game, Jefferson was so effective that he was able to carve out a niche for himself as the go-to scorer for the Hornets’ bench.
The problem is that Okafor is not as good as Jefferson in the post.
He also doesn’t have as much range and his 53.6 percent career field goal percentage is not great for a guy who rarely steps away from the hoop.
There might be a team who could use occasional post scorers off the bench, but most teams are looking for bigs who can stretch the floor, or at least shoot a jumper. Okafor can’t really do either.
His offensive prowess is enough to get him a job, but even at the league minimum he is too limited to be considered a “steal” in the modern NBA.
Okafor Can’t Guard Anyone
Okafor’s offensive game is limited, but he does have a skill that still has value. His defense on the other hand, yikes.
Teams are looking for backup bigs who can either score (he can), stretch the floor (nope) or protect the rim (not even close). As Bleacher Report correctly pointed out, Okafor had the worst defensive rating on the Pelicans.
Considering the New Orleans Pelicans have the 20th ranked defense in the NBA, that is hardly a ringing endorsement.
Okafor lacks two of the three skills most teams want in a big man, and his post-game is not enough to make up for it, as good as it may be.
There’s a reason why Okafor went from the third pick in the draft (well done Philly! All hail THE PROCESS!) to the back of the bench. His game simply doesn’t fit the modern NBA.
We’re not trying to pile-on Okafor, as he is a seemingly great guy and fantastic teammate who has kept himself ready to play, but at this point he’s probably a league minimum player whose career is trending much more towards Greg Monroe‘s than Al Jefferson’s.
It’s possible that the post game will make its triumphant return at some point, but until then Okafor is unlikely to be a big part of a contending team.
Sorry, Bleacher Report, we have to disagree that he’s a steal.
Thanks for your continued support, and stay safe out there!