Hinkie: 'I'd like to think' I would've drafted Okafor if Embiid was healthy
The Philadelphia 76ers selected Jahlil Okafor with the third overall pick in the 2015 draft. He was unquestionably the best player available, and arguably the most dominant offensive force in the entire draft.
Okafor plays the same position as last year's third overall pick Joel Embiid, but Embiid's future is in doubt thanks to a serious leg injury that could derail his entire career. Would Sixers GM Sam Hinkie have selected the Duke center if Embiid were healthy? Here's what he said, according to the Philadelphia Daily News:
Hinkie said selecting Duke University freshman center Jahlil Okafor third overall was not connected to Embiid’s situation. He said Okafor was the pick because he was the best player available. But what if there was no issue with Embiid? 'I’d like to think we’d have had the courage to do it anyway,' Hinkie responded when asked if he would have still selected Okafor. 'I knew and it’s hard to unknow where things stood with Joel, but I’d like to think we’d have the courage anyway.'”
We'll never know how Hinkie's decision would've been different if Embiid was healthy, and neither does he. But either way, Philadelphia ends up with a fabulous low-post scorer, and that's ultimately a very good thing.
(h/t: Philadelphia Daily News)
Photo Credit: Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
