Ben Simmons Is A Perfect Compliment to Jahlil Okafor

6 of 8

Apr 10, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) dunks during the third quarter of the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center. The Milwaukee Bucks won 109-108 in OT. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports /

A First Noel

So what of center Nerlens Noel? Nerlens Noel is the second insurance policy, but another solid center in a Ben Simmons centered lineup. Noel is a catch and shoot center, the alley-oop guy who can defend the rim and contribute some offense.

Live Feed

SEC News: Tennessee lands 5-star prospect, Heyward decommits from Georgia /

South Bound & Down

Former Knicks center signs with young, exciting team in free agency Daily Knicks

Kings: Nerlens Noel's signing likely sees fan-favorite monstrous player exit A Royal Pain

3 former Thunder players to bring back in free agency Thunderous Intentions

The best free agent at every position for the Washington Wizards Wiz of Awes

3 free agent center who fit perfectly with the Wizards roster Wiz of Awes

In a lineup with Okafor as a starting center, Noel would be the first player off the bench. Will Noel be able to deliver in that situation? He’s already shown he can hold his own defensively in the NBA. His Achilles heel has been his offense. Noel requires schemed plays. He is not a make-his-own-shot scorer. He needs the defense to thin out, and the pass to be placed “just so”.

We know that the team had few options to score last year. We also know that Brown admitted not having enough time to train Okafor and Noel to “gel” together. In fact, in the midst of roster mayhem, trying to find an equilibrium between Okafor and Noel, Brown admitted he kept the playbook at virtually a kindergarten level.

While Noel was the center with the most seniority, he elected to slide out to the power forward to make room for the expected arrival of Joel Embiid last season. When Embiid declared a second foot surgery, and the team selected Jahlil Okafor in the NBA draft, it was a surprise to all, including Noel. That surprise derailed the plans for the offseason, which in turn complicated the preparation of the team.

The team suffered injury, and got to a point where Brown could only stitch a lineup together as best as he could and send them onto the court to get their shellacking.

After one particularly severe preseason beatdown, Brett Brown could only offer this explanation:

"“It was a game where I just sat back and let players play,” Brown said. “When you have just 11 players and people were on minute restrictions, you just tried to walk that game down with healthy bodies.”"

The plan was to work closely with Noel and Okafor in preseason to reinforce their separate roles. The plan required a healthy team, a team with a roster of healthy starters. If you recall, that is not the way last year’s season began.

With Joel Embiid already out for the season, the team entered the new year with few healthy bodies. That shortage of healthy bodies would haunt the Sixers into the season. It was that which distracted Brown from teaching Noel and Okafor how to mesh on the court effectively.

Next: Red Shirt Season