The Sixer Sense
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Brett Brown Acknowledging Tough Fits Ahead

By Josh Wilson

Dec 22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (L) and forward Nerlens Noel (R) work out prior to a game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (L) and forward Nerlens Noel (R) work out prior to a game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Brett Brown is acknowledging that there is a tough road ahead as he will have to try to get three big-men quality playing time.

Some ignored the tough fits ahead for Brett Brown and the Philadelphia 76ers at the beginning of this season, which was fine, because they were a long way from reality. But as the 2016 season comes to a close, some forthcoming issues can not be pushed under the carpet any longer. The time has come to address the elephant in the room, and he stands at seven feet and two inches tall.

This issue of fit was something that had been brought up by a few fans early on in the season, but was dismissed as being a non-issue by the majority. It’s the issue of providing solid playing time to three star big men. Those big men being Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor, and Nerlens Noel. Hopefully, all of them will be on the team and healthy next season, barring any trades that may occur for Okafor and Noel — the Sixers gauged league interest on them from teams around the league at the deadline.

If all three big men are able to suit up — an occurrence that would hopefully finally happen next season — there would be some serious issues as far as game plans go. Brett Brown had a hard enough time balancing Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor this year. Sure, you can play the two of the players at opposite times, but they each deserve more than 24 minutes.

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There were times in every game where Nerlens and Jah were on the floor at the same time. Throw a third dominant big man capable of near 30 minutes per game and you’ve got even more issues with trying to devise a gameplan that caters to all of the players who deserve attention.

Embiid will likely be on a minutes restriction much of next season, but you don’t want him to be restricted even further by a game plan that can’t cater to every player, especially if it’s cutting out one of the biggest pieces.

Brown has talked about this issue, but unfortunately hasn’t answered any questions yet. He pointed to the fact that Embiid is becoming a skilled player in multiple areas, improving his range this year, and being an already dominant player near the hoop.

Brown said that the goal was to make an environment this year that is “static” and that Embiid would fall right into, but I don’t think that was achieved. Brown himself pointed to Jerami Grant and Carl Landry as evidence of that plan, but failed to say Okafor or Noel showed evidence of that, which is the big part when it comes to fitting Embiid in. That’s huge, that the two best big men on the team haven’t created an environment that Embiid can fit into.

As Jerry Colangelo and Brown have now said, this is a “high class problem,” but frankly, it’s a problem that could be the difference between this Sixers competing with playoff contenders in three years, and the Sixers still looking for a gameplan that works for their big men in three years, and being on the outskirts of the playoffs. This problem could put the Sixers in the middle tier of the NBA, which is exactly the opposite of what Sam Hinkie’s plan of losing has been for these past several years.

In all reality, one of these big men has to go. Joel Embiid has no trade value, so it’s going to be Jahlil Okafor or Nerlens Noel, but there’s no telling at this point who it is. The Sixers probably don’t even know. But as for next year, if the Sixers try to get all three players on the floor, they’ve got some serious work to do to make a game plan that works.

Next: Sixers 2017 Options could Be Limited

The Sixers have covered a lot of ground in their frontcourt this year, figuring out what works and doesn’t work with Jahlil and Nerlens, but they’ve got to start thinking more about that third factor, especially if they don’t plan on trading either of the two former mentioned players before the regular season comes around next year.

Brett Brown acknowledging the tough year ahead is a start, but he needs to back up his words with actions.