Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor already shows ability to adapt
NEW YORK — Jahlil Okafor might very well be the top overall pick in the NBA draft next June. Perhaps he will and maybe he should be. None of that is worth debating at the moment, just five games into Duke's season.
What's worth examining now — and from now on — is how he handles what's thrown at him in the college game. Okafor has size and talent; all of that is known. What's unknown is what he does when other teams successfully shut him down. How does he react? Does he try to force things? Can he take a backseat to his teammates?
Late Saturday night, against a good, veteran Stanford team, Okafor provided all the right answers to those somewhat difficult questions.
For much of the game, Stanford's 6-11 center Stefan Nastic challenged Okafor. He poked and prodded him, banged against him in the post and bothered him with his length. Okafor was held to 1-for-5 shooting in the first half, partially because of Nastic and also in part because Stanford effectively utilized double teams.
"He's a force inside," Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins said after No. 3 Duke's 70-59 victory against his Cardinal. "We tried to give him as many different looks as we possibly could give him. That has to do with experience that he's still gaining right now early in the season. We'd throw different looks at him, different guys at him, double some, maybe don't double at all. Get him out of rhythm. At times, it was good for us. At other times, you could see him starting to figure it out — which he's going to do. He's a great player."
With so much attention centered on Okafor, other Duke players were freed up — and made the most of it. Senior Quinn Cook led with 18 points, and do-everything small forward Justise Winslow added 14 points, nine rebounds and one viral video (of him hurdling Stanford's Chasson Randle while blocking Randle's shot). Matt Jones also scored in double figures, and Amile Jefferson nearly did, while contributing seven boards.
"The main thing was, I was looking for my teammates. They were talking to me the entire game, and I was just trying to find them," Okafor said. "That's just part of my game. In high school, I was always double- or triple-teamed. I was always passing out of the post."
Against Temple on Friday, Okafor wasn't doing that nearly as well. He was struggling — he was 7-for-20 from the field — and continuing to shoot. A night later, it was like a switch had been flipped.
"He's a target," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "(Against Temple), he forced too much and didn't pass it out. We always give feedback, even though we only had one day of preparation (before Stanford). The thing we focused on was showing him he's got to kick it out. He likes to kick it out, but our guys have to tell him. When he gets it, he's focused on scoring. Let him know you're open.
"(Saturday night), he was a facilitator — and he still got a double-double. … As long as he's a scoring threat, it helps our other guys."
Said Jefferson: "He was poised and didn't force any shots tonight. For a young guy with his talent to understand that so early and see the bigger picture, it's amazing."
Duke is more than just Okafor, which is exactly how the coaching staff designed it to be. Before the season, associate head coach Jeff Capel told USA TODAY Sports that it's all about finding the right balance between elite, one-and-done freshman talent and veteran players. Cook has been fantastic as the lone senior, and all the drama surrounding him and how he'd handle freshman point guard Tyus Jones' arrival seems pointless now. The star-studded freshman class has, by all accounts, seamlessly integrated itself into the roster.
"What you're trying to do is to create an environment where there's one goal, one objective, and where everyone understands their importance and their value," Capel said before the season. "I've always felt that every player is a role player. Your role is very, very important, whatever it may be."
Message (seemingly) received. Krzyzewski said Saturday night that he likes the personality of his team. It's tougher mentally than last year's team. It has guys such as Winslow, who dive for loose balls and do the little things needed to win without expecting adulation. It doesn't rely on just one guy (Jabari Parker) as much as last year's team did, either.
And that's why this team's ceiling is so much higher.
