Philadelphia 76ers Should Build Around Duke Center Jahlil Okafor

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Dec 6, 2014; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; A detailed view of the basketball during the game between the Detroit Pistons and the Philadelphia 76ers at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Philadelphia 76ers won 108-101 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /

Pieces Need A Plan

If you begin with a plan anchored by the presumption that Jahlil Okafor is your starting center – ala Moses Malone – then you have the two pieces we need to get things rolling:

I – We have a player to build around and
II- We have a plan with which to build.

So now that we have the two main ingredients, what do we have as far as an inventory of the pieces we truly need? Well, let’s start by examining what made the 1982-1983 Philadelphia 76ers so successful.

The team shot, on average, 50% from the floor. The team had three players who scored at or better than 20 points per game. That same team had six players with defensive ratings at or below 100 points per game and no player over 104 points per game. That team scored nearly 10,000 points that year, while containing their opponents to just over 8,500.

That roster was a nice blend – boasting Erving as an 11 year NBA veteran, Malone and Jones as 8 year NBA vets, and Cheeks at 4 years and Toney at 2 years.

But most of all, they complimented one another. Malone and Erving and Jones all averaged better than 1 blocked shot per game, and two of those three players led the team in scoring. They were built upon the two-way player phenomenon which is the Brett Brown mantra.

So who do we have who can hope to evolve into that type of team?

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