The Sixer Sense
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How Jahlil Okafor and Ben Simmons Can be a Power Duo

By Josh Wilson

Nov 9, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; The Philadelphia 76ers logo on the warm up shirt of center Jahlil Okafor (not pictured) prior to action against the Chicago Bulls at Wells Fargo Center. The Bulls won 111-88. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 9, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; The Philadelphia 76ers logo on the warm up shirt of center Jahlil Okafor (not pictured) prior to action against the Chicago Bulls at Wells Fargo Center. The Bulls won 111-88. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Much is being talked about how Jahlil Okafor doesn’t fit on the Philadelphia 76ers roster, especially with Ben Simmons, but is there any way he could fit?

The Philadelphia 76ers have an important season ahead of them. As they debut their top overall pick in Ben Simmons this year, look to win more games, and look to figure out who to build their roster around, there’s reason to believe that this season may be the most important season of their entire rebuilding era thus far.

This season determines a ton, and this season leaves a lot to be accomplished. Are more games being won? Are players making improvements in areas that they lacked in previously? Is the team gelling nicely?

One of the things that should be determined is which big man the Sixers want to keep and build around. Over the last several seasons, Sam Hinkie has acquired several young, high-ceiling prospects, but many have been big men. With Joel Embiid, Nerlens Noel, and Jahlil Okafor all on the same roster, there’s reason to believe one of them will be moved eventually. All are solid players deserving of starter minutes.

Although it would have been nice to clear that logjam before this season, there’s also an advantage to keeping everyone around this season. The Sixers can now see which big man will work best alongside Ben Simmons, who is likely going to be the piece they build around moving forward. Whether it be at the trade deadline, or next offseason, the Sixers can use their knowledge of who works best with Simmons to decide who they should keep.

Although Nerlens Noel seems to be the best choice for Simmoms on the surface, if we look a bit deeper, we can see that Okafor may be a solid offensive compliment to Ben.

Next: How they don't fit