94
Nerlens Noel Jahlil Okafor Incompatible
It would have been too easy in Philadelphia if the pairing of Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor worked like a charm. Joel Embiid could not play in the 2015-2016 season, after discovering the need to undergo a second surgery.
So the Philadelphia 76ers did line up for the third pick of the 2015 NBA Draft. Whether you believe it fortunate or unfortunate for the 76ers, this was twelve days after learning about Embiid’s foot. With the Los Angeles Lakers selecting point guard D’Angelo Russell, the Philadelphia 76ers found themselves choosing at three with a wide selection of choices.
Daily Knicks
BPA, Need, or Other
In the end, the Sixers chose the best possible candidate from the draft, but likely one of the least compatible prospects for the team. As you recall above, Nerlens Noel is an NBA rim-protecting center. But Jahlil Okafor plays great offense, in the post. It’s the need of both players to occupy the paint which causes the struggle of compatibility.
To be fair, Okafor was drafted as the best player at that time. However, there have been plenty of discussions of trading one or both of the big men. In fact, the Celtics claimed they had a major deal negotiated with a team at the 2016 trade deadline, but the other team pulled out. That other team was believed to be the Philadelphia 76ers.
And so, the team is rotating three players in various combinations, trying to determine if any combo works. If not, this will be Joel Embiid’s team exclusively.