Many will forget this now, but prior to the 2015 NBA draft, which was filled with future NBA stars like Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis, Nets guard D’angelo Russell, and Suns guard Devin Booker, the debate for the number 1 pick was actually between  Karl Anthony-Towns, who would eventually go number 1 to the Timberwolves, and the former number 1 overall player in high school and the subject of today’s post: Jahlil Okafor.

Now as many are aware, Jahlil is currently a bench player for the 76ers who barely plays on nights that all league center Joel Embiid sits out, but this is truly perplexing to many given the incredible success Okafor has had in his playing career both in high school and college. In high school, his Whitney Young team won the Chicago Public League title, with Okafor being a McDonald’s All American and the team’s best player. In college, he was the best player for a Duke basketball team that won the 2015 NCAA championship. He was a consensus first team all-American, and he had NBA scouts raving from the get-go about his footwork, post scoring ability, and potential leadership qualities that could make him a potential all-star at the next level. And for a while in the NBA, it looked like they were right. In his rookie season, “Big Jah” averaged 17.5 points and 7 rebounds a night, a respectable total for any rookie. But now, just two seasons later, Jahlil can barely check into the game for the Sixers. So, what happened?

In a few words, Joel Embiid. When the Sixers drafted Embiid back in 2014, they committed themselves to a transcendent talent for which the potential was unbounded. Whereas Okafor was being compared to some of the league’s best current centers coming out of high school, the Cameroonian Embiid was being compared to some of the greatest to ever play. And  Okafor, for all his skill, simply couldn’t match up with the physical gifts Embiid had to offer. Embiid is taller, longer, stronger, a better scorer, and has a hustle which is almost unheard of given his size an injury history. Okafor never stood a chance at playing over a healthy Embiid, and thus is now in the unfortunate position of watching him dominate the opposition from the sideline.

However, that is not to say it is over for the former #1 player in high school. The Sixers have been trying to trade Jahlil for about a season, and it is only a matter of time before they succeed and he gets another opportunity elsewhere. Yes, its true that Jah probably won’t ever be the all-star he was originally hyped to be, but he is most certainly a very solid player worth rostering and starting for most NBA teams. In Philadelphia, he just feels lost in the shuffle.