After playing only a combined 48 minutes over three games this season, Jahlil Okafor might finally get to see some meaningful minutes for the Nets.
Nets Head Coach Kenny Atkinson has been pleased with Okafor’s progress since joining the team and will reward the center with some playing time.
“He’s close. I’d expect to see him against Minnesota,” Atkinson said before the Magic game. “I think we’ll start to get him some minutes. He’s been doing a phenomenal job getting ready physically with our assistant coaches learning what we’re doing. Collectively we feel like he’s ready to get some minutes.”
Okafor has not gotten much action this season, and as a result, the biggest question mark surrounding him has been his conditioning.
“It’s not going to be 48 minutes right off the bat,” Atkinson added regarding how much we’ll see of Okafor. “We’ll build him up and evaluate where he is physically and game-wise. Like anybody, you’ve got to earn it with play. Let’s see it in small doses and hopefully build him up to bigger minutes.”
Okafor is in the final year of his rookie deal after having his fourth-year option declined by the Philadelphia 76ers. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
During his first two seasons in Philly, Okafor averaged 14.7 PPG and 6.0 RPG in 26 minutes. He finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2015 and was named to the All-Rookie First Team. The #FreeJah movement might finally come to fruition.
