Jahlil Okafor could breathe a little easier when he learned of the small meniscus tear in his right knee on Friday. Not because he wanted to be sidelined for six weeks and undergo surgery, effectively ending his rookie season, but because he had an answer to what had been bothering him.
“For me, I was worried about what was going on with my knee,” he said Friday before the Sixers played the Nets. “I didn’t know. I just knew it was super uncomfortable when I was on the treadmill. Just kind of a sigh of relief, because I was able to know exactly what was going on with my knee and that it was something minor. It was good to finally know what was going on.”
Okafor has not played since Jan. 28 against the Magic when he suffered a right shin contusion in a collision with Isaiah Canaan. As he worked through that injury, he felt discomfort in his knee on the treadmill Monday. Okafor had missed two games in December with the soreness in the same knee, and the Sixers ordered a CT scan, which revealed the tear.
“When you really study what’s going on, it’s going to be a 10-minute procedure,” Brett Brown said. “It’s going to restrict him from playing for six weeks. Because of the timing, it sounds probably more dramatic than it should that we’re not going to see him again, I get all that. But as far as the history of has it happened all the time, the impact that it has on somebody moving forward is negligible.”
The date for the minor arthroscopic procedure has not been set. In the meantime, Okafor was fitted for a brace to keep pressure off his knee, which he was wearing Friday. Okafor plans to be around the team as much as the surgery and rehab schedule will allow.
“I’m sorry to hear Jahlil’s missing the rest of the season because he’s definitely a great friend of mine,” Nerlens Noel said. “I definitely want him to do great in the NBA.”
Echoed Richaun Holmes, “I hurt for him. He’s a competitor and wants to be out there every game. I just feel for him. But he’s got to get healthy and he’ll be back strong next year.”
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Okafor’s rookie season was cut short at a total of 53 games. He is the Sixers’ leading scorer with 17.5 points per game and second with 7.0 rebounds in 30.0 minutes. Okafor ranks second among all rookies in scoring behind Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns.
“He’s really had an excellent, excellent rookie season,” Brown said.
Okafor will begin looking ahead to his first offseason sooner than he would have liked.
“When I pictured this offseason, I didn’t picture myself trying to get healthy,” he said. “I thought I was going to be working on becoming a better player. Right now, it’s just focusing in and locking in on my rehab so I can make sure I’m 100 percent.”
Jerami Grant will start in place of Okafor at the power forward spot the remainder of the season.