Pelicans Jahlil Okafor Out 1-2 weeks Due to Sprained Ankle

by
Former Writers
October 3, 2018

Karty NBA via Flickr

New Orleans Pelicans center Jahlil Okafor will start the season on the sideline due to injuring his ankle Sunday. Okafor was diagnosed with a right ankle sprain that will cause him to miss between one or two weeks, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Source on @TheAthleticNBA and @WatchStadium: MRI on New Orleans Pelicans center and former No. 3 overall pick Jahlil Okafor revealed a right ankle sprain and he will miss 1-to-2 weeks.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 2, 2018

Okafor, 22, suffered the ankle injury during the Pelicans’ first preseason game against the Chicago Bulls. The MRI confirmed the severity of the injury for the former No. 3 overall pick. Okafor finished with eight points, seven rebounds and two blocks in 17 minutes. He later left the Pelicans exhibition opener on crutches.

Pelicans’ Jahlil Okafor exits the United Center with crutches and an ice pack around right ankle. pic.twitter.com/svexvD960D

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) October 1, 2018

Tough Few Years For Okafor

Okafor signed basically a “prove yourself” two-year deal that includes just $50,000 in guaranteed salary. He can easily be cut prior to the start of the regular season if he doesn’t fulfill his role for the Pelicans. Okafor has seriously struggled since coming into the league back in 2015, after his National Championship title win with Duke.

Okafor averaged 17.5 points in 2015-16 in his rookie season. Over the next two seasons, his production declined quickly. In his fourth season in the NBA, He is about to begin this season on his third NBA team already (Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets).

Okafor averaged only 12.6 minutes and 6.4 points in just 28 total games last season. The Pelicans have one preseason game remaining this week (Friday vs. the New York Knicks) before they close out their schedule with tilts against the Miami Heat (Oct. 10) and Toronto Raptors (Oct. 11).