Jahlil Okafor to Sixers: Twitter Reacts as C Is Selected in 2015 NBA Draft

The Philadelphia 76ers just keep on stockpiling big men. 

This time around, they nabbed Duke's Jahlil Okafor, who came into this year's draft as one of the most offensively polished low-post players to hit the NBA in years. He was never likely to last long, and the Sixers nabbed him at No. 3 overall even with Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid on the roster.

SportsCenter on Twitter announced the pick:

The 76ers showed Okafor on the line with 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie:

The pick was a bit of a surprise, of course, as many folks thought the Sixers would target Ohio State guard D'Angelo Russell at No. 3. But the Los Angeles Lakers scooped him up a pick earlier, setting up the scenario for the Sixers to simply take the best player on the board in Okafor. 

Embiid clearly could read those tea leaves. Right after the Russell pick by L.A., Embiid tweeted the following:

But perhaps Embiid saw this coming all along. Okafor said Embiid already welcomed him to Philadelphia, per Tom Moore of Calkins Media:

While it would be logical to assume the Sixers might try to trade Okafor after selecting him, given their three young big men, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported the Sixers weren't entertaining any trade offers:

It's hard to imagine the Sixers won't eventually deal one of their young bigs, however, given their dire need at guard and on the wing. Chad Ford of ESPN certainly thinks one of the three won't be long for Philadelphia: 

In a sense, it's the second straight disappointment in the draft for the Sixers. A year ago, they seemed most interested in landing Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker, only to end up with Embiid. This year, Russell seemed to be the logical fit. Eric Freeman of Yahoo Sports found the whole thing a bit amusing:

On the other hand, Hinkie did what he's always said he would do, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Okafor averaged 17.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 30.1 minutes per game in his only season at Duke, helping lead the Blue Devils to a national championship.

On the offensive end, he has everything you want: good hands, great vision, a high basketball IQ and a bevy of moves in the low post. He's a good teammate, he's a hard worker who will dedicate himself to being better and he has a high ceiling.

Okafor said he models his game after Tim Duncan and Hakeem Olajuwon, per the team.

Seth Davis of Sports Illustrated thinks he'll be a hit in Philly:

Okafor isn't without weaknesses, though. His defense leaves much to be desired. His free-throw shooting has been downright woeful at times. And he doesn't have the athleticism of a player like Karl-Anthony Towns. Still, his ability to score down low like a seasoned veteran makes his weaknesses—most of which he can work on and improve upon in his career—plenty worth it for the Sixers.

Okafor looks as though he'll be a centerpiece of Philly's offense for years to come (assuming it doesn't trade him, of course). At a time when smaller, quicker guards who can shoot from distance and versatile and athletic big men are in vogue, Okafor is a bit of a throwback to the centers who once dominated the game.

The Sixers are banking on Okafor bringing that type of player back in style—even if Embiid might have something to say about it.