The Sixer Sense
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Sixers Big Men Can Pass

By George Kondoleon

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The Sixers have started the Center City movement. After drafting Jahlil Okafor on draft night, the Sixers now have a stockpile of big men. Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, and Joel Embiid are all extraordinary talents with a ton of potential. With Joel Embiid as the only one of the three with a mid-range game, how can these three coincide and fit well with each other?

Luckily for the Sixers, these big man have amazing court vision and passing skills. The ability to pass out of the post has been somewhat of an overlooked skill, but a skill that is still essential in any offense. Let’s breakdown the passing game of all three guys.

Jahlil Okafor

Let’s start with the rook. Jahlil Okafor averaged just 1.3 assists per game at Duke, but the stats don’t show it all. He also racked up an OWS of 4.5. Okafor has shown excellent passing skills while playing the post. His big, soft hands and his excellent vision allow for him to find the open guys around the perimeter. His offensive game down low is such a concern for the defense that he finds himself doubled teamed often, allowing him to find a teammate wide open near the basket. Here’s a video breaking down his playmaking skills.

Jahlil is a natural on the offensive side of the ball in all aspects. His best fit seems to be playing alongside Joel Embiid down low. With both Okafor and Embiid posing huge threats in the post, defenders will have to decide whether or not to double team one of the big men, leaving the other open, or try to flush the ball out to the perimeter by going into a zone defense. To make Joel/Jhalil work, the Sixers have to surround them with some consistent shooters. The two need to be able to kick the ball out to perimeter shooters such as Robert Covington and Isaiah Canaan.

Nerlens Noel

Nerlens Noel may be the weakest passer of the three, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad one. Nerlens racked up 128 assists in his rookie year and has been developing his offensive game as a whole. His passing is still a work in progress, as you can see from this awesome pass.

But Noel is usually an intelligent passer and knows when to pick his spots while distributing the ball. Noel makes great passes in transition and can also show some nice vision from the high post.

Noel’s offense has continued to show offensive development, and as his post presence strengthens, his passing ability will be emphasized. Noel pairs well with Embiid, in that Embiid could give him options on whether to kick the ball out in the mid-range, or feed him down low in the post. Since Okafor’s mid-range game isn’t quite up to speed yet, there could be trouble for Noel being able to move the ball down low.

Joel Embiid

Embiid has been praised on all aspects of his game, and passing is one of them. Embiid showed flashes of terrific passing at his time of Kansas, and instead of talking about it. I’ll just show you.

Embiid has great court vision when he can see the whole court, however he seems to struggle passing with his back towards the basket. Embiid’s passing just adds to his versatile attack on offense. It’ll be fun to see defenders struggling to figure out how to guard him and the only question left is when will he get on the court?

These big men have guard like distribution skills, which is why no Sixers fan should worry about whether they are a right “fit” for each other. One pair might work better than a different pair, however these three could be interchangeable and still be productive. It’ll be fun to see how well all three move the ball with each other. What pair do you guys think would work best?

Which Pair of Big Men Would Work Best?

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