Jahlil Okafor could be the centerpiece to a championship 76ers team
The Philadelphia 76ers Should Build Their Roster Around rookie center Jahlil Okafor. Why? Simple.
History Repeats Itself.
With recent focus on the past – whether that of the 10-72 Philadelphia 76ers, or that of the 2006 Toronto Raptors, we’ve been turning back the pages of the NBA annals. We’ve examined why the Philadelphia 76ers were bad last season, and we’ve talked about the strategy of Bryan Colangelo during his tenure with the Toronto Raptors:
In Part One we discussed his track record of NBA Trades during his tenure with the Toronto Raptors
In Part Two we discussed his track record of NBA Free Agency during the same period with the Raptors
In Parth Three we discussed his track record with the NBA Draft while overseeing the Raptors.
But in each case we failed to identify what the goal of that activity was intended for, which was to build an NBA team capable of winning a championship around power forward Chris Bosh. You see, each NBA executive has a short window to build a winner. Great players have limited patience, and with ease they simply jump ship at the end of their contract expiration and land on another NBA team with a perceived better chance of winning.
More from History
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- Philadelphia 76ers Ten Biggest Mistakes of the Last Ten Years
- Philadelphia 76ers: Best trade in team history with Washington Wizards
- 6 Worst Philadelphia 76ers starters of the Allen Iverson era
- Are 76ers using page from past for ‘Twin Towers’ lineup
Chris Bosh never trusted Colangelo, and Colangelo never trusted Bosh, the tale was shared in one of our recent articles about Toronto Tells Differing Tale of Bryan Colangelo Prowess. The struggle in Toronto was the need to build around an already unhappy Chris Bosh at such a rapid pace that the Raptors would compete immediately.
For all the downside of Colangelo’s time in Toronto, he boosted them to to 47-35 in his first year of managing their roster. You see, in Toronto the clock was already running out on the team with Chris Bosh, and Colangelo failed in his attempt to avoid the inevitable.
Next: New Hand
A New Hand Is Dealt
Where the Toronto Raptors were a team with a star player, the Philadelphia 76ers are a team with star potential. We simply need a man with the right vision.
Can Bryan Colangelo be that guy?
It’s impossible to say at this vantage point, and I’ve certainly given cause to be pessimistic when I examined the results at the Toronto Raptors. But lets look at this from a differing perspective. We haven’t the schematic of what head coach Brett Brown and president Bryan Colangelo intend to build here at Philadelphia. Without that map, we are just tossing darts in a dark barroom.
But what’s wrong with that? Nature abhors a vacuum and so do I. So in the absence of a complete rebuild plan of the team, I simply will insert one of my own – the template of the rebuild is that of one of the NBA’s finest – the 1983 version of the NBA champion Philadelphia 76ers.
The reason is simple – its a team I am most familiar with. The logic is sound, as one of the keys to that team was the dominance of center Moses Malone. That style of play from the big man at the post is virtually reincarnated in the style of rookie center Jahlil Okafor. So much so that the comparisons between Malone and Okafor began before Jahlil ever stepped foot onto the basketball court for the Sixers.
So who were those 1983 Philadelphia 76ers? Well you know the starting center was Moses Malone, next in playing minutes was shooting guard Andrew Toney, followed by point guard Maurice Cheeks, then small forward Julius Erving, and finally power forward Bobby Jones. Adding significant minutes were shooting guard Clint Richardson, power forward Mike Iavaroni, and point guard Franklin Edwards. Rounding out the top reserves were center Earl Cureton and small forward Reggie Johnson. Is that team possible with the raw materials at the Philadelphia 76ers disposal?
Next: Pieces Need A Plan
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?
Next: Jahlil Okafor
Jahlil Okafor
First on the roster is that of 6’10” rookie center Jahlil Okafor
He is the centerpiece of this scenario and for good reason. His offense in one year nearly rivals that of big man Malone in the post game, and Okafor is just getting started. When he faced his rookie center rivals, his game clearly stood out. The true breakout should happen in the 2016-2017 season when he returns to an NBA he is now familiar with. Malone was at 20.7 points per game in his rookie season per 100 possessions. Okafor set his starting line at a much more impressive 28.6. While Malone already had 3.4 blocks per 100 his rookie year, Okafor came in at a more modest 1.9 blocks per 100.
If the Sixers need a “winner” template, then they need look no further than the 1983 Sixers. That team was pulled together by the heroics of Moses Malone. The closest thing the Philadelphia 76ers have to him is Jahlil Okafor.
Okafor was not the Philadelphia 76ers prime target at three in the 2015 NBA draft, but sometimes the greatest inventions and events happen by random chance. What he brought to the Sixers team was an offensive presence, despite the fact that the team was not set up to help his game in the least.
He routinely scored against older more seasoned opponents, and his offense was oftentimes the lone bright spot on some pretty dark games. He made the best out of a very bad situation, and should be afforded an opportunity to make something great out of a good one.
Next: Nerlens Noel
Nerlens Noel
Next on the roster is that of 6’10” second year man Nerlens Noel.
One of the keys to that championship team was the sixth man, Bobby Jones. At 6’9″ and 209 pounds, Jones had just come off a poor year defensively (his rating rose from 99 to 103 points per game), but he was great off that bench, where his defense shut down the opposing team before they could rally back.
Noel too had a blip in his defensive rating, he too rose from 99 to 103. Now with the team embarking on a new build, his role can be clearly designated as the big guy off the bench.
Some would see that as a demotion. But in the objective to turn the 76ers into a championship, and continue to pour 20+ minutes his way, it would be a sensible move.
Noel is not an offensive powerhouse, but in this new roster he needn’t be. He simply needs to be that guy who shuts down the other team.
The key to the pairing of Noel and Okafor on the same team is stop trying to force extended periods with both on the court. Simply bring Noel in at either the four or five spot to give starters a rest, or in moments of the game when the team needs to ramp up the defense.
Noel need not be “dealt” when there is plenty of need on this team right now for his skills.
Next: Mo' Teague
Mo’ Teague
After clearing the top two, the “connection” to those 1983 Sixers becomes a matter of projection and or speculation. We have three pieces remaining, and we have some assets of the team who are projected to assume a role. Okay, let’s go:
The remaining three pieces are the back court and the wing man: Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney, and Julius Erving. For starters, the Sixers need to find their Maurice Cheeks.
Cheeks was the type of point guard who could toss nearly 10 assists a game while pressuring the other team with a 15.1 PPG average. That’s why this team is in need of a point guard upgrade.
Atlanta Hawk’s Jeff Teague may be an intriguing fit in this “yesteryear Sixer” template. Teague is generating the offensive output of better than 15 points per game the past three seasons, while his assists are coming in at 6.5 for the same three years. Teague is no sloutch on defense either, coming in this year at a very “MoCheek-like” rating of 104.
In the face of draft or trade for this critical piece, the Sixers should lean to the trade scenario. Teague can be had for the right price, and the Sixers have plenty of currency to make a deal like this happen.
We know the Sixers pursued Teague’s teammate Dennis Schroder at the trade deadline, but with the Hawks second year of futility in post season, they appear to be ready to turn over the keys to the team to Schroder and deal Teague. The Sixers should be ready to take that call when it comes.
Next: Buddy Up
Buddy Up
For the role of Andrew Toney, there is no NBA equivalent, yet. I looked at Bradley Beal, DeMar DeRozan, and Jordan Clarkson, and none compared closely enough to “The Boston Strangler”. So we need to leap into the draft and soar on the hopes of what if’s and perhaps. When I did that, I landed on a surprisingly unexpected name.
Buddy Hield.
Yes, Buddy Hield. Toney was a scoring manufacturer who never quite mastered the defensive side of the equation. But oh could he shoot. He earned the name “Boston Strangler” from his ability to take over the game against the Celtics time and again.
Buddy Hield is an NBA ready rookie with a complete arsenal of shots and scoring. He has a great work ethic and hes coming out as a senior – the level of maturity that is required on a Bryan Colangelo team. He is the one shooting guard coming out of this draft who seems destined to have games where he simply “takes over”.
By the time the Philadelphia 76ers entered the NBA championship in 1983, Andrew Toney was just two years into the league. No other current player or prospect could hope to replicate that fast track growth.
If the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers is the goal, then shooting guard Buddy Hield is the guy.
Next: No Doctor, But A Guy from Aspetar Clinic
No Doctor in The House, But a Guy from Aspetar Clinic
There is no way I can sell you the hope that the Philadelphia 76ers can hope to elevate the game of any prospect, veteran, or imaginary character to become our modern Doctor J, Julius Erving.
So I won’t.
But I recall Dr. J’s aerodynamics. His magic was the ability to do so much that few of his opponents could replicate. In short, he stood above his peers.
Now, we don’t have a Doctor J, but we have a Jo-Jo. If rumors and hype and two years worth of wishes from the Philadelphia 76ers fan base have any bearing, Joel Embiid is the one player that the NBA will not be able to account for.
He’s a big man with a soft touch on shooting. He’s got the mindset of a true basketball defensive player, but the shots and the dimensions of an offensive nightmare. By all measurable means available without turning the player loose on the NBA, Joel Embiid tests out in the upper echelons.
Yes, there are still many things to work out, but if the rumors are true about 2 X 2 workouts happening for Embiid as early as next week, we should begin to get some indication of how much he could bring to the basketball court.
In my hopes, it’s more than we’ve imagined. Embiid is the one true chance these Sixers have at the embodiment of someone who can score over 20 points a game, while causing such smothering defense as to frustrate any opponent in his path. I truly see Embiid as possessing enough athleticism to make the jump from the center to the power forward role.
Next: Mike Conley Would Make Sense For The Sixers
The Philadelphia 76ers are simply a team with many parts without a plan. The team needs to place a stake in the ground and begin the build towards that championship. As soon as that happens, everyone will begin to see just how close this team truly is.