Philadelphia 76ers Position Analysis Under Brett Brown: Part I Center

He’s been called Mentor, Head Coach, Life Trainer, Keystone, and by critics Anchor. But Which Is It?  It’s Time For A Philadelphia 76ers Position Analysis Under Brett Brown 

Trust The Process. That’s the duct tape response to this Philadelphia 76ers team woes for the past three years. It’s taken on ridicule to some, blind faith to others, and to some it represents the intricate chessboard strategy deployed by president and general manager Sam Hinkie to take a team on a ridiculous unavoidable decline and use that slope to create a team which, for the second straight season, has become one of the last to taste victory.

Early in the season, some reports had pointed to the current roster of players and speculated that it’s a hornet’s nest – that this team is so devoid of talent that each player will do everything in their power to jettison from the 76ers at the first opportunity.

Sensationalistic journalism at its worst.

Some reports had become slightly more subtle.  Some have likened the absence of NBA free agent talent in this recent off-season as a clear indication that nobody of any importance wants to play in Philadelphia.  Some have translated the lack of interest of the Philadelphia 76ers in sinking valuable capital – roster spots and salary dollars – into a multiyear deal with an NBA veteran which may add an additional occasional win into a “nobody wants that team” argument.   They see slack in the rope and have decided that its because nothing is at the end, not because the general manager of the 76ers simply wasn’t shopping yet.

Sensationalistic journalism again.

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And finally, some have pointed to this devolving of talent, to the signing of undrafted free agents to see what they can do on an NBA roster while they await the maturation of true NBA potential stars like Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, Nik Stauskas, and even rehabbing Joel Embiid as evidence that the coaching talents of Brett Brown are not as good as the brochure.  Some wonder aloud now if Brett Brown is truly the man for the job, is truly the counterpart to the raw youthful energetic talents of this NBA young roster.  Despite the team extending him, despite the vote of confidence freely given by new executive Jerry Colangelo, some have linked the teams fortunes to the head coach.  Wrong move.

For those who argue that, it’s hard to find an event like this one in any former NBA team.  The Philadelphia 76ers have leveraged D-league, undrafted, hopeful talent into an NBA ‘trial basis” roster that gives players a chance they might never have had otherwise.  To place the outcomes of high-risk high-rewards chances at the feet of the man who patiently plays the hand dealt to him is an injustice of basic logic.

In short, I’m not buying it.

So what am I proposing in this article?  Simply put, lets break down the five starting positions of this Sixers organization, and then project what it could look like next year in 2016 (I admittedly will be forced to make some assumptions to do this. But that’s what makes this so fun, right?)

So what are we waiting for?  Let’s get started!

Next: Center Position

Center Position

The center position of the Philadelphia 76ers has always been a key position for the team, particularly after the team failed with the attempt to find a franchise center with Andrew Bynum.  With this position projected very important, the team has gone full out to fill it with talent worthy of a championship caliber team.

2013: Spencer Hawes / Henry Sims

The 2013 Philadelphia 76ers won 19 games and the center position was an area that did receive attention in the off-season. The 2013 NBA draft found the Philadelphia 76ers selecting Nerlens Noel with the 6th overall pick in that draft. Early hopes centered around Noel being ready on or about Christmas of that 2013-2014 season, and the Sixers had Spencer Hawes as a serviceable stop gap measure. When the team realized that Noel would not contribute, they simply extended Hawes to play throughout the season.   The duo of Hawes and Sims did an adequate enough job for the team, Hawes averaged 13 points per game (PPG), 8.5 rebounds per game (RPG), and 1.26 blocks per game (BPG) on 31.4 minutes per game.   Hawes allowed 2.2 turnovers per game (TPG)  and offset that with .58 steals per game (SPG).   But as is often the case, general manager saw an opportunity to deal Hawes to the Cleveland Cavaliers and did just that.

His replacement Henry Sims had similar numbers but with a team friendlier price tag, with 11.8 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and .5 BPG.  He also had 1.3 TPG and generated .88 SPG.  Henry Sims was that first wave of undrafted and untested talent that has been the mainstay of the Sixers roster since Sam Hinkie has begun the disassembly and reassembly.    He was obtained in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers for Spencer Hawes and was accompanied by Earl Clark and two 2014 second round draft picks.  Following the trade, Clark was waived by the Sixers.  It was one of many moves Hinkie would make to exchange NBA talent for assets which would be converted to additional assets.

Next: 2014: Noel/Sims

2014: Nerlens Noel / Henry Sims

With the start of the 2014 season, the long awaited debut of center Nerlens Noel arrived to the court of the Wells Fargo Center and the former starting center of the Sixers Henry Sims was tasked with a backup role.

While Noel excited fans in Philadelphia with his defensive skills, Sims struggled to stay healthy in a backup role.  Noel averaged 9.9 PPG for the team, 8.1 RPG, and 1.89 BPG on 30.8 minutes.   He also allowed 1.9 TPG while generating 1.77 SPG.   His performance was so noteworthy that it enabled Noel to be named to the 2014-15 NBA All-Rookie First Team as voted on by a panel of 130 sports writers.  Of 75 games played, Noel started 71 of them and played outstanding basketball, the style of which has not been seen since the play of NBA great Hakeem Olajuwon began 50 games in 1994-95.  Noel, who turned 21 years old during the season, led all rookies in steals, blocks, rebounding, and double-doubles (18).  In addition to being the only player to rank in the top-10 in both steals and blocks this past season, Noel joined David Robinson as the only other rookie in NBA history to have averaged at least 1.50 steals and 1.50 blocks.

You can catch a video of his 2014 -2015  performance by clicking on this link.

Next: Oh Henry!

Oh Henry!

On the flip side, Henry Sims struggled.   Sims played well in the 2013-14 campaign, when he started for the Sixers 32 times in 2014-15, but also racked up a few DNP’s in the second half of the season and saw minutes cut from him as the Sixers looked at other big men.  In 2014-2015, his minutes continued to decline despite coming up on a new contract as he was in his last year.   Sims averaged 8.0 points and 4.9 rebounds in 2014-15 on 25 minutes per game.  Despite his somewhat reliable play, the Sixers anticipated needing to manufacturing minutes for their 2014 first round draft pick center Joel Hans-Embiid in the 2015 season.

In the 2014 draft, the Philadelphia 76ers drafted a huge center prospect in the form of Joel Embiid with the third overall pick.  However, he was known to be injured, a foot surgery that can be very problematic to tall men.  It was that injury that likely dropped Embiid out of the first overall projection to the Sixers at the third pick.

But it was that fall that brought the Sixers and Henry Sims to part ways at the end of the 2014 season.   And so, head coach Brett Brown would be called upon to coach up rookie Nerlens Noel and newly obtained Embiid for the 2015 season.  In fact, in anticipation of Embiids return to the active roster in 2015, Noel actually played the final  ten games of the season as the power forward for the team.

"“In the last 10 games or so, (head coach) Brett (Brown) has actually made me a power forward, with the thought that Joel would be at center next season. It’s different because I’ve been switching on pick-and-rolls and defending point guards. Brett (Brown) has even put me in isolation situations at the top of the key to try to win a game.” – Nerlens Noel at end of 2014-2015 season"

But sometimes things change, especially when you least expect them to do so.

Next: 2015 Okafor/Noel

2015: Jahlil Okafor / Nerlens Noel

And so, here we are today. The pairing of center Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel.  Two talented young men with upsides that go as high as the imagination will allow, but whose styles are so vastly different that sports analysts and fans have continued an ongoing debate over who will stay and who will be traded.

But let’s not rush to the exit just yet.  You see, a curious thing happened to the team in the 2015 NBA draft.  The team was thought to have it’s sights squarely upon a point guard, and the top rated point guard for the draft was D’Angelo Russell.  The tricky part was that the Sixers would once more be picking third, with the Minnesota Timberwolves picking first and the Los Angeles Lakers picking second.

Projections were nearly unanimous in anticipating the Timberwolves selection of big man Karl Anthony-Towns (KAT) and the Lakers filling a front court need with the like of center Jahlil Okafor.  While the Timberwolves followed their script closely and drafted KAT, the Lakers threw a curve ball into the draft by selecting point guard Russell.  That left the Sixers to draft the best player available in Jahlil Okafor, despite the talented depth already included Noel and Embiid.  In a strange twist of fates, the arrival of new center Jahlil Okafor coincided with the news of a setback to Joel Embiid’s recovery, and the fact that he would need an additional surgery. While fans and writers examined the status of Embiid, and the factors that led to the second surgery, debates waged as to what Jahlil Okafor would bring to the team in Embiid’s absence.

You see, Jahlil Okafor was a post man, a high scoring center for the Duke Blue Devils, but who was suspected of poor defensive skills.  Actually, the Blue Devils were undermanned, and therefore Okafor was coached NOT to challenge defensively to avoid foul trouble on a shallow roster.   So far this season the results have been fairly impressive.

Okafor has been leading the team on offense since day one, despite the fact that opponents know he must be taken out of the game.   His 17.4 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and  1.15 BPG is an impressive performance for an NBA rookie.  It’s been impressive enough to place Okafor on the Rookie Ladder watch list.   Coupled with his 2.2 TPG with his .44 SPG aqnd you’ve got a good foundation for a team that will go places in the future.

Next: Noel Takes On Two Roles

Noel Takes On Two Roles

Meanwhile, former center Nerlens Noel made a significant effort to transition to the power forward position in the off-season.   The initial plan was to develop a mid range shot so that Noel and Okafor could co-exist on the court simultaneously.  But with some playing time, there was a time when it appeared that Noel was the better center, and Okafor’s soft handed shots could be made at mid range.  However, that experiment did not succeed.

With Noel oscillating between center and power forward, he is still producing well for the team:  he’s improved offensively, boosting his scoring to 10.8 PPG despite transitioning to a hybrid center power forward role on this team.  His defense remains strong with 8.3 RPG and 1.56 BPG (good number from a player spending time at the four spot).  And he offsets his 2.4 TPG with 1.56 SPG.  In short, he continues to deliver.

But perhaps it should be mentioned now that Noel has generated some chemistry with point guards Ish Smith and T.J.McConnell, and as the season progresses the offense of the Sixers will emphasize that aspect of the pick and roll and alley oops more and more frequently.  While that may reduce the number of shots for Okafor, he will get cleaner looks and those looks translate into much more accurate shooting from the post man.

Brett Brown is working patiently to develop this pair, and break the stalemate of hesitancy.

"“We sort of looked around at each other, and we can’t do that. I put it right on Nerlens’ and Jahlil’s doorsteps. As things are happening, they can’t be quiet. They have to find ways to lead. They (Okafor and Noel) have to learn how to grow to be leaders. We took a punch last night (a loss to the Atlanta Hawks) and never really responded. We talk about them as our highest-drafted players. I feel like it’s on me to take that profile and mesh it in with leadership skills and some level of grumpiness, competitiveness. Like, that ain’t acceptable. It’s not acceptable. Grab people and talk to them and put their own hand up and get back on transition defense. It’s going to be the same old same old until April 13 or whenever our last game is. That’s the challenge [with] those two guys on the floor, offensively and defensively. But I can’t abandon it. That’s my job.” – Brett Brown discusses developing Noel and Okafor."

The team is a work in process, but both Noel and Okafor are already well on their way to having huge NBA careers.   All that remains to be seen is the next step. With patience and experience, this team could be one of the elite front courts of the NBA.

Next: 2016: Okafor/Noel

2016: Jahlil Okafor / Nerlens Noel

And with the past and present comes the future.  The future of the 76ers is awfully bright, but the details will always be fuzzy when you consider the team now has the dynamics of Jerry Colangelo and Sam Hinkie at work.  With a team roster full of talent, the greatest factor is in the patience of the front office in watching this team grown together.   So despite the factor of potentially four first round draft picks in the 2016 NBA draft, and despite the myriad of draft scenarios which have, are, and will be discussed, I cannot see the personality of Jerry Colangelo watching a prospect in the likes of either Okafor or Noel leaving via an NBA trade.

I project the starting center for the 2016 Philadelphia 76ers as Jahlil Okafor, with Nerlens Noel coming off the bench in both a center and part-time power forward role.  While there are many things which could change in the meantime, I believe that Colangelo is the hand of patience and “watch and see” when it comes to player development.   It was his hand that guided the Sixers to restore Ish Smith to the roster, where he was the point guard last season but was allowed to explore free agency.    That lesson becomes the template in my projection.

Should either Okafor or Noel become injured, as happens routinely in the NBA, the other merely slides in with more minutes per game.   Both players can excel at offense, but Okafor has the stronger post game.   Both players can play defense, but Noel has the stronger rim protection.  So why should the team choose prematurely?  The wild card factor will be the development and emergence of Joel Embiid.  As I’ve been watching and notating, his game is the most likely to translate into that of a stretch four.

If the team stays with the current center rotation, the off-season will likely be one of Okafor working on his rebounds while Noel will continue to work on his mid range game.  Optimism for this solution is based in the age of the players: Okafor is a tender 19 and Noel is just 21.   This is their first year of playing together and will have moments of improvement followed by moments of confusion.  But the overall trend of the pairing is positive as each learns about the other.

The 2016 roster will offer both players as center.  If the team needs stronger defense and faster play, Noel will be ready to step in.  If the team needs stronger offense and a more physical presence at the post, look for Okafor to play more minutes.   The beauty of how this could unfold is that the Sixers needn’t move either player.  They have plenty of draft currency to use without converting one of their future stars into more draft picks.  The question then falls upon the head coach, Brett Brown.  Can he bring the two to realize their fullest potential?

Next: Nobody Does It Bretter

Nobody Does It Bretter

In the depths of the initial months of the season, the 1-30 Philadelphia 76ers were ripe for a meltdown of epic proportions.  The team was struggling so desperately that the team had become the easy target in countless articles decrying the Sixers right to play in the NBA.

And yet, head coach Brett Brown found a way to keep up the team spirits.  You see, Brett Brown is not cut from the standard mold of an NBA head coach.  In accepting the role as head coach of this team, he knew full well the pain and torture of a prolonged losing streak would mean to the team and to it’s individual players.   He knew his role would be to focus on team-building, postive feedback – because the NBA and fans of the sport would be providing an endless supply of negative feedback.

It’s that understanding for what is needed and when it is needed that places Brett Brown solely as THE man for the job of coaching this young team. And so, one of the first orders of business of Jerry Colangelo was not to undermine nor to replace the head coach, but to extend him as a show of confidence in the man who had guided the team through the darkest moments of an NBA team rebuild.

Nowhere else is that impact more visible than the results of Brown on the development of the center position.

Next: Fresh And Fearless

Fresh And Fearless

Jahlil Okafor is a young man at age 19, and his early experiences in the NBA found him in conflict with fans of other teams- particularly the fans of the Boston Celtics. As a result of the fracas, and the unveiling of additional events that called Okafor’s off-court judgement into question, Okafor was suspended for two games by the team.  It was that series of events that may have laid the groundwork for the hiring of Jerry Colangelo, the trade for Ish Smith, and the subsequent hiring of Mike D’Antoni as assistant head coach of the team.  But the crux of the events was the display of tough love by the head coach for his players.

As he has brought the two young centers through the awkwardness of playing together and seperately, Brown has done a remarkable job of measuring his comments in such a way that nothing is left to misinterpretation.  He doesn’t use social media or the press to conduct his business with his players.  He uses straight talk, and face to face, to do so.

Brown also sets his starting roster based upon his opponent. That keeps players fresh and the team unpredictable.  But the byproduct of the ever changing starting roster is the flexibility of the players to show up in any given game.  Despite the risk of players competing against one another, Brown’s methods have teammates focused on the team success.  Here’s the perfect example, comments from Jahlil Okafor sitting on the bench in a double overtime loss.

"“I’ve always been about the team. I’ve been around some really great organizations and it’s all about winning. That’s what we’re trying to do here and it was a great game. My teammates had it rolling. They were playing phenomenal.” – Jahlil Okafor on watching his teammates lose in double overtime"

And so, the team is depending upon head coach Brett Brown to navigate the perils of losing to get them to the point where they are winning. So far he’s done just that. From a center position of veterans who had plateaued to a stable of young talented prostpects with huge upsides, the Philadelphia 76ers appear to be much improved at the five spot. As the team develops the players, the front office is itself learning from veteran NBA executives.

Next: Can Philadelphia 76ers Fans Find Hope?

With a goal of building a championship team, the center position is solid enough to do just that.