May 19, 2016
It’s no secret that Jahlil Okafor had a difficult rookie season. First there were the multiple off-court issues from October and November that now feel like they happened a long time ago. Then there was the awkward fit with Nerlens Noel in the frontcourt, a problem that might not go away with the possible addition of Joel Embiid. Finally, Okafor missed the last month of the season with a small tear of his meniscus in his right knee.
That doesn’t mean it was all bad, though. Despite playing only 53 games, Okafor was still voted onto the All-NBA Rookie First team. Playing in a tough situation, the Duke product averaged 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game on 51 percent shooting from the field:
It was expected that Okafor would crack at least one of the two all-rookie teams, so I think we all can agree that T.J. McConnell garnering two first-team and three second-team votes is the real story here. The undrafted point guard finished ahead of a few first-round picks that play his position (Jerian Grant, Cameron Payne).
So next time Xfinity Live bouncers give McConnell a hard time, they’ll look even more clueless. How are you going to charge a cover for a guy that got (multiple) first team all-rookie votes?
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
