Jahlil Okafor finally hit the court in his Nets debut on December 15 vs the Pacers. He totaled 10 points and four rebounds on 5/10 shooting. Okafor admitted that he was fatigued and was not in physical shape is his debut. He blamed these issues on his former Sixers’ coaching staff as they were not giving him playing time due to him wanting out of Philadelphia.
Speaking with The New York Post, Okafor admitted that he isn’t in the best shape to play and that he would be hurting the Nets now if he played 25 or 30 minutes per game.
“I don’t know how far I am away, but I know I’m not there yet to where I can play 25, 30 minutes and help the team win,” said Okafor. “So I’m doing myself a disservice and the team if I’m out there. I’m not really contributing as much as I think I can. I don’t have a timetable, but hopefully I’m not too far away because I do want to be out there. I do want to play with my teammates.”
Okafor went on to say that his teammates are already in midseason form while he is still trying to figure things out on his own while getting properly conditioned. He also noted that unlike in Philadelphia, in Brooklyn he has a great coaching staff who have the ability to get him more durable and in physical shape.
“That’s why I’m happy I’m here with the actual NBA coaching staff that’s taking care of me every day. When I was in Philly I was figuring it out on my own. I had my own trainer that I’ve been working with since eighth grade working me out. But it’s a different level when you’re actually working with an NBA staff.”
Okafor has the potential to be one of the most talented young players in the NBA but now it’s all about fitting in the right system and staying conditioned both mentally and physically. It’ll be interesting to see his progression as the season continues.