Should Philadelphia 76ers Flip Noel With Okafor?

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Nov 21, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown talks with his players during a timeout in the first half of game action against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Bright Brown

76ers head coach Brett Brown is considering giving Jahlil Okafor more time at power forward while playing Nerlens Noel at center more.

"““It’s not even borne out losing. It’s borne out of just having an opportunity to watch these guys play more and more. When you have this new group and you’re trying to let those two guys co-exist, there’s a lot of moving parts that we can learn from,” Brown said. “It’s a challenge, but that’s my job.” – head coach Brett Brown"

Brown would like to take advantage of Okafor’s shooting touch from the elbow, and it’s obvious that Noel is much better when he is closer to the basket. The 76ers staggered their minutes against Charlotte and they played just 11 minutes together in the loss, so there was an expectation to see that trend continuing to move forward.

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One of the understated benefits of this Sixers team is the lack of established roles on the team. Players can be moved on any given night, in any given game, at any given moment. Brett Brown is not afraid to flex the starting roster, adjusting to an opponent’s version of small ball, or bigs, to place the team in the best position to compete from his perspective. Having allowed Jahlil Okafor to establish himself as a solid NBA center, he was now ripe for experimentation. What else could he deliver to the 76ers? Brett Brown intended to find out, both from an understanding persepective as well as an attempt to optimize the co-existance of Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor.

Unfortunately, Jahlil Okafor made some mistakes in personal judgement off the court, and was suspended by the team for two games in early December.

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