Every NBA team’s MVP, from Kevin Durant to LeBron James
By Tom West
Philadelphia 76ers: Jahlil Okafor
The 76ers are officially the champions of tanking. They traded their All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday to get Nerlens Noel in 2013, they tanked again and won Joel Embiid with the 3rd overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, and most recently landed Jahlil Okafor for their losing efforts with the 3rd pick in this year’s draft.
Essentially, they’ve built their franchise on poor trades and too many big men. Sorry, 76ers fans, it’s painful to think that’s what you have to put up with. But it’s all part of Sam Hinkie’s master plan, and the process will (or it might not) pay off some day. Right now, though, the team’s obvious MVP is that most recent acquisition and candidate for Rookie of the Year, the aforementioned Okafor.
He’s off to the kind of start anyone would have excepted. He’s easily one of the most developed players from the 2015 draft class due to his skill in the post, and he’s been using his plethora of moves on the block to rack up 16.9 points per game on 44.9 percent shooting so far. His impact on the defensive end hasn’t been bad either, 7.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, while he also holds opponents to shoot 10.9 percent worse than normal within six feet of the basket.
Okafor’s offensive skill set is rare in today’s NBA, as there just aren’t many talented post players who rely on that aspect of their game over taking loads of jump shots. He may be the go-to player on the league’s worst team and their obvious MVP, but he’s still a franchise calibre player in the making if he moves elsewhere, too.
Next: Brooklyn Nets