Issa Movement: #FreeJahlil

First things first: I am not a role model. What role model do you know that screams “#FreeJah” from the rooftops like a rooster each morning?

I’m just your resident basketball junkie ever-obsessed with all things hoop. But I promise, if you allow me your attention through to the final punctuation, we’ll have things to discuss. I’m open to such. Tread lightly, however. I’ve played this game a long time, always will be close to it & am obsessed with the continued growth of both individual basketball acumen & of this beautiful art itself above all else.

HOW WE GOT HERE

Hear me loud & clear:  Jahlil Okafor not being part of a team’s basketball rotation when 100% healthy & in the best shape of his life is repulsive & unacceptable.

Especially during a time when we talk daily about the transition freshman have to make & whether it’s even worth it. Tyus Jones & Quinn Cook rightfully got the headlines as us guards typically do but lest we forget, Okafor was the blue-chip prospect & fulcrum of the offense. A big reason why Quinn & Tyus making threes was so impactful was that Okafor had proven to be a guarantee on a nightly basis, scoring in double figures 35 (of 38) games.

A national championship, Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year, & ACC Player of the Year in his pocket, Okafor entered the draft & seemed destined to enter Laker-lore as the next great big man with guard-like acumen in a skilled, solid frame. After having spent the entirety of my life as a Kobe fan & helplessly watching them miss out on my hometown Duke homie from the previous year Jabari Parker, I just knew that purple & gold brass wouldn’t blow this.

Spoiler Alert: Magic blew it mane.

I’ll begin with this caveat: YOU CANNOT REPLICATE THE WARRIORS. Draymond Greens, Steph Currys, Klays & KD’s do not grow on trees. Before the Warriors became the standard, nobody believed offensive juggernauts could compete. #FreeJah

BRASS MONKEYS

If any reputable exec is reading this, stop trying to emulate the product on the court & copy what goes on behind the scenes. That organization is a family of humans with goals greater than themselves. They also are willing to do whatever it takes to win. Ask Iggy.

I mention this because all the talk leading up to the draft was about how posts were obsolete & that the Lakers should look elsewhere. Meanwhile? The steal of the 2014 draft’s lettering on his All-Rookie 1st Team award dry before LA was drafting another guard. I even called into ESPN Radio & on live air asked if the Lakers would regret passing on Okafor. #FreeJah

It was an overwhelming no from the panel of experts. Meanwhile, D’Angelo Russell is now in basketball purgatory. Lonzo Ball has a terrific foundation & the potential to impact the game like no other youngster before. But one look at that jump shot screams project. The same way these players didn’t perform up to expectations, Lakers brass refused to properly acknowledge the player who obliterated his own & has been tasked with saving the day when shots in the dark prove to have been wasteful. #FreeJah

So what does all this mean? Brett Brown is getting heat for trying his best to finally coach a competitive team & really shouldn’t shoulder the blame for a couple clueless moves by front office executives trying to rethink a wheel they really didn’t even fully understand.

The Sixers are fine because they embraced being terrible for a while & took some chances. LA claimed to want to get back into playoff contention ASAP. Yet, two of three years, they leave the most pro-ready player available on the board. Crazily enough, these players also fit a position of need… Both organizations have sparked criticism as to their commitment to players.  Something tells me the basketball gods haven’t finished with this situation at all.

BEST FITS

1. Boston Celtics: Duke East. For years, I’ve been trying to create Duke West in Los Angeles but that’s not even an option anymore. Danny Ainge & Brad Stevens got hip to the shift in Durham & seem set to take advantage for years to come. He’d be in uniform already if Boston’s management wasn’t savvy enough to know to buy low. This is the best fit personnel-wise and off-the-court. Horford & Okafor could form the most skilled frontcourt in the league & Jah would be primed to learn from one of the best. #FreeJah
2. Chicago Bulls: A return home would be feasible because Chicago is searching for its next star firmly in the midst of a rebuild. Okafor provides them a talent for the future with more than enough talent & influence to be able to help fans move past the most recent hometown kid debacle. Not to mention, can you imagine Okafor & Lauri Markkanen taking their bruises together then running the league by 2022? #FreeJah
3. Milwaukee Bucks: I know this is out of left field but can you imagine Jah being able to get isolations in the post with the likes of Jabari Parker, Eric Bledsoe & Giannis Antetokuonmpo as cutters with Khris Middleton spotting up in the corner? Not to mention the defensive length & athleticism Kidd can put around a defender still getting his legs under him. I held out hopes Parker would return for another year to wreak havoc with Jah so of course, I’d love to see that for years to come. #FreeJah

Also considered: LA Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors.

Next: Why Grayson Allen Will Be A 2018 NBA Lottery Pick

#FREEJAH

Needless to say, Jah has plenty to offer any of the teams in the league. Including the one he plays for. Believe me when I say the kid is miserable. He didn’t ask for any of this. He just wants to hoop. Somebody, please let him. If I know Jah like I know Jah, his game has grown exponentially in this downtime. That’s scary to consider. One last time…for the culture: #FreeJah