Brett Brown Responds to Jahlil Okafor Saying Nets Have a Real Coaching Staff

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown responded to Jahlil Okafor on Tuesday after the club's former first-round pick said he was happy to be learning from an "actual NBA coaching staff" following his trade to the Brooklyn Nets.

"Jahlil knows what we did here. It's a young person who gave a quote," Brown said, according to PhillyVoice's Kyle Neubeck. "I have read that, and I think everybody understands how we treat people here, and the attention he received while he was here. That's my reaction."

On Monday, Okafor asserted he didn't receive the necessary support from the Sixers coaching staff to stay in shape prior to the trade.

"That's why I'm happy I'm here with the actual NBA coaching staff that's taking care of me every day," he said, according to the New York Post's Brian Lewis. "When I was in Philly, I was figuring it out on my own. I had my own trainer [Rick Lewis] that I've been working with since eighth grade working me out. But it's a different level when you’re actually working with an NBA staff."

Tuesday, Okafor said his quotes were taken out of context, per Def Pen Hoops:

Okafor, who was dropped from the Sixers' rotation in favor of Amir Johnson at the start of the season, appeared in two games before he was dealt to the Nets on Dec. 7.

Since then, he has been a DNP-coach's decision in four of five games because of his lackluster conditioning.

"It's to be expected. He just hasn't played," Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson said, per Lewis. "There's just a difference between game conditioning—NBA conditioning—for [most people] he's probably in better shape, but it's a whole other level. It doesn't surprise me at all. The fact that he's a bigger guy, that's part of it, too. It's more difficult for them."

Okafor's lone appearance for Brooklyn came Friday in a 120-87 loss to the Toronto Raptors.

The 2015 No. 3 overall pick tallied 10 points and four rebounds, and the Nets were outscored by 21 points during his 23 minutes on the floor.