New York Knicks basketball sage Phil Jackson questioned Duke star Jahlil Okafor’s aggressiveness when he drafted Kristaps Porzingis, according to Charlie Rosen — Jackson’s Boswell. In fact, Jackson has doubt in general about Duke basketball players’ potential at the next level. “If you look at the guys who came to the NBA from Duke,” Jackson said, “Aside from Grant Hill, which ones lived up to expectations?”
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Jackson is apparently unimpressed by the NBA careers of Christian Laettner, JJ Redick, Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng and Shane Battier. That’s its own conversation — but throwing shade at Kyrie Irving? Jackson seems to be just ignoring the facts there. If Okafor has just a touch of Michael Jordan in him, he’ll use that slight to turn himself into the most aggressive player in the league. But maybe that attitude is more of a North Carolina thing than a Duke thing. Is that what you’re saying, Phil?
