D’Angelo Russell was the player that Sixers fans wanted. Jahlil Okafor was the player this franchise needed. Every era of Philadelphia 76ers basketball has been defined by one player.
Sir Charles In Charge
When you think 60’s you think Wilt Chamberlain. Those late 70’s and 80’s teams, you think Dr. J (Julius Erving). The turn of the 80’s into the 90’s gave us Charles Barkley. Last but not least, the Allen Iverson era. When you think of this era of Sixers basketball, it starts and ends with Okafor.
Since Sam Hinkie took over in 2013, he has been slowly accumulating his assets. Piece by piece, the puzzle has become more clear. Okafor is the piece that makes the puzzle make sense. With Embiid looking more and more unlikely to fulfil his promise, the franchise and its success lays squarely on Okafor’s shoulders.
The reason for the Sixers long reign in basketball purgatory is simple, too many side shows with no main attraction. When Andre Iguodala is your best player, you are destined for a one way ticket to a first round exit. Jrue Holiday was another very solid player, but isn’t franchise player. Nerlens Noel also looks like he will fall in line with those guys, however, it’s not a knock on Noel.
Nerlens Noel, is many things, but he isn’t a franchise player. Should he continue developing the mid-range game he’s been working on, he will be a great complementary player to Okafor. To use a Sixers comparison, he is a Samuel Dalembert type with higher upside and basketball IQ.
Luckily for the Sixers, the main attraction has arrived. Scouts all over the country have touted Okafor the most polished big man to come out of the draft since Tim Duncan. Minnesota Timberwolves Head Coach Flip Saunders has said Okafor has the “best footwork since Tim Duncan.” Duncan’s former teammate David Robinson has also likened the Sixers center to Duncan.
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Should the Duncan comparisons hold true, things will trend upwards faster than people are expecting. The Sixers have some solid pieces currently on the roster. There is room in every NBA rotation for players like Tony Wroten, Robert Covington, Kendall Marshall and Jerami Grant (the jury is still out on Nik Stauskas). The key for Hinkie now is to find the right players to put around his franchise player.
Whether it is through the draft, trades or free agency, Hinkie will have to find a wing player who is capable of taking the scoring load off Okafor when teams are double teaming him on the post. Someone who can create their own shot as well knock down the open three.
Okafor won’t be able to turn it all around by himself. No single player can, but everything will go through him; it starts and ends with the big man. The basketball gods were looking out for the Sixers when the Lakers passed on Okafor. Sixer’s fans will soon realize that Okafor was the guy they wanted all along.
Next: Stauskas Out For Two Weeks
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