Philadelphia 76ers Noel and Okafor should be in different lineups
By Jay Siskin
Philadelphia 76ers Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor should be in different lineups for optimal impact.
Another frustrating season has been hard to watch at times for Philadelphia 76ers fans, but there is a glimmer of hope for the future. After a long 0-18 start to the 2015-16 season, the Sixers are now 2-1 since Jerry Colangelo pulled the trigger to get Ish Smith back to the city of brotherly love. But does this mean the Sixers should strongly consider splitting up the Nerlens Noel/Jahlil Okafor duo in lineups?
Since the acquisition of Smith, the Sixers look like an actual NBA team. The addition of the veteran point guard has also helped Nerlens Noel tremendously. With that being said, I think coach Brett Brown and management should implement Okafor with the second unit.
In a two-man combination with Ish Smith, Noel has a positive points rating (points minus opponent’s on the floor).
| Net (Per 100 Poss) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Lineup | Tm | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | eFG% | FT | FTA | FT% | PTS ▾ | ORB | ORB% | DRB | DRB% | TRB | TRB% | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF |
| 1 | N. Noel | I. Smith | PHI | 72:09 | +3.4 | +4.8 | +.015 | -0.8 | +1.6 | -.057 | +.006 | -3.5 | -4.9 | -.003 | +2.6 | -3.4 | -4.5 | +1.8 | -4.5 | -1.0 | -2.1 | +2.4 | +6.0 | +2.1 | -2.9 | -0.3 |
| 2 | J. Grant | N. Noel | PHI | 391:06 | -2.3 | -6.7 | +.007 | -0.9 | -2.3 | -.011 | +.005 | -2.7 | -0.4 | -.098 | -8.1 | -2.2 | -3.6 | +0.2 | -3.6 | -0.8 | -1.7 | -2.0 | +0.9 | -1.4 | +3.7 | +1.3 |
| 3 | T. McConnell | N. Noel | PHI | 424:53 | -2.4 | -3.2 | -.012 | +1.5 | +4.3 | +.005 | -.001 | -6.6 | -5.3 | -.129 | -10.0 | -0.5 | -2.4 | -2.8 | -2.4 | -1.8 | -3.9 | -2.6 | -1.2 | -0.1 | +5.3 | +2.1 |
| 4 | R. Covington | N. Noel | PHI | 317:54 | -4.5 | +2.7 | -.069 | +0.2 | +6.8 | -.076 | -.070 | -3.4 | -2.6 | -.064 | -12.3 | +1.5 | +0.9 | -4.1 | +0.9 | -1.5 | -3.5 | -6.3 | +0.2 | -0.2 | +0.7 | +0.5 |
| Player Average | 825:22 | -5.5 | -4.0 | -.045 | -0.6 | +2.0 | -.051 | -.046 | -4.3 | -2.4 | -.112 | -15.8 | -1.0 | -3.6 | -3.7 | -3.6 | -2.4 | -5.2 | -5.0 | -0.5 | -0.2 | +3.9 | +1.1 | ||
| 5 | N. Noel | N. Stauskas | PHI | 323:47 | -5.2 | -6.7 | -.027 | -1.2 | +2.6 | -.083 | -.030 | -4.5 | -2.7 | -.118 | -16.0 | -3.1 | -6.5 | -3.1 | -6.5 | -3.2 | -6.8 | -5.4 | -1.8 | -0.6 | +5.6 | +0.2 |
| 6 | R. Holmes | N. Noel | PHI | 75:37 | -6.1 | -6.7 | -.033 | +0.9 | +9.7 | -.105 | -.025 | -6.1 | -2.6 | -.171 | -17.3 | +1.0 | -0.8 | -3.5 | -0.8 | -1.0 | -2.0 | -5.2 | -4.1 | +5.7 | +6.3 | +1.6 |
| 7 | I. Canaan | N. Noel | PHI | 499:05 | -7.0 | -0.8 | -.079 | -0.1 | +5.0 | -.068 | -.079 | -4.1 | -1.9 | -.114 | -18.2 | +0.6 | -2.0 | -6.1 | -2.0 | -2.8 | -6.1 | -5.9 | +0.5 | +1.0 | +2.0 | +0.6 |
| 8 | N. Noel | H. Thompson | PHI | 413:37 | -5.7 | -4.8 | -.043 | +0.2 | +2.4 | -.025 | -.039 | -7.3 | -5.3 | -.144 | -18.4 | -2.3 | -6.3 | -4.5 | -6.3 | -3.4 | -7.7 | -4.2 | -0.7 | -1.1 | +4.7 | +2.3 |
| 9 | N. Noel | J. Sampson | PHI | 187:26 | -7.5 | -5.0 | -.062 | -2.4 | -4.5 | -.040 | -.074 | -1.7 | +1.1 | -.112 | -19.1 | +1.8 | +0.5 | -4.7 | +0.5 | -1.2 | -2.7 | -7.9 | -2.5 | +0.4 | +4.9 | +0.9 |
| 10 | N. Noel | J. Okafor | PHI | 394:57 | -9.9 | -6.8 | -.080 | -2.7 | -0.8 | -.109 | -.093 | -3.0 | -1.5 | -.093 | -25.6 | -0.7 | -3.7 | -5.0 | -3.7 | -3.1 | -6.8 | -9.2 | -3.1 | -1.2 | +7.3 | +1.4 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/31/2015.
In a combination with Okafor, the two big men have played a total of 395 minutes. In that time, teams are outscoring the Sixers by a pace of 25 points. In other words, the team isn’t very good when both guys play together.
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The rookie out of Duke has missed games against the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns on the recent road trip due to injury. Okafor came back against the Sacramento Kings in limited minutes off the bench. Meanwhile, Nerlens Noel has played huge in those three games. His play on the court while Okafor was off the court is the reason why the two big men need to be split in different units. Noel posted a back-to-back positive plus/minus rating for the first time all season.
| Rk | G | Date | Opp | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | TRB | STL | BLK | PTS | +/- | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 26 | 2015-12-26 | PHO | W (+7) | 30:50 | 6 | 7 | .857 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 14 | -6 |
| 33 | 27 | 2015-12-28 | UTA | L (-4) | 30:14 | 8 | 9 | .889 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 18 | +5 |
| 34 | 28 | 2015-12-30 | SAC | W (+5) | 26:49 | 8 | 12 | .667 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 20 | +11 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/31/2015.
In his return against the Kings, Okafor had the opportunity to finally play with Smith. We got a small glimpse of how the lineup performed (seven minutes). In those minutes with Okafor and Smith together, The Sixers posted a offensive rating of 64. The defensive rating during that time was 86. The two together were -3 together when on the court.
| Net (Totals) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Lineup | Date | Opp | FG | FG% | eFG% | PTS | |
| 1 | J. Sampson | I. Smith | 2015-12-30 | SAC | W | +6 | +.010 | +.022 | +16 |
| 2 | J. Grant | I. Smith | 2015-12-30 | SAC | W | +8 | +.046 | +.020 | +16 |
| 3 | N. Noel | I. Smith | 2015-12-30 | SAC | W | +9 | +.046 | +.015 | +15 |
| 4 | I. Canaan | I. Smith | 2015-12-30 | SAC | W | +6 | +.014 | -0.006 | +10 |
| 5 | I. Smith | H. Thompson | 2015-12-30 | SAC | W | +3 | +.138 | +.127 | +5 |
| 6 | R. Covington | I. Smith | 2015-12-30 | SAC | W | -2 | .000 | +.016 | +1 |
| 7 | T. McConnell | I. Smith | 2015-12-30 | SAC | W | 0 | 0 | ||
| 8 | J. Okafor | I. Smith | 2015-12-30 | SAC | W | -2 | -.104 | -0.058 | -3 |
| 9 | R. Holmes | I. Smith | 2015-12-30 | SAC | W | -2 | -.250 | -0.250 | -5 |
| 10 | I. Smith | N. Stauskas | 2015-12-30 | SAC | W | -2 | -.114 | -0.112 | -7 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/31/2015.
You may read this and become disappointed at the fact Okafor and Smith only had seven minutes together.
Yes, I know. But with the performance of Noel with Smith, it has to be looked at.
The defense was OK during that time, but the offense was poor. In his 19 minutes of play Okafor had a minus 6 plus/minus rating.
Overall, it just seems as if the two big men on the team should be split up, but it only foreshadows a bigger question. When Joel Embiid is healthy, even more questions arise.