5 reasons why irrelevance of Philadelphia 76ers Jahlil Okafor is exaggerated.

Reason III:The Philadelphia 76ers were always Joel Embiid’s team

From the moment star Kansas center Joel Embiid fell to three in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers have considered him their franchise player.  Previously starting center Nerlens Noel cross-trained to power forward in the belief Embiid would play center. As the team learned of that second surgery, they had few choices and little time.

Jahlil Okafor was never “plan B”. He was the “wth do we do now?” option.  Under the circumstances, he was the best path in the minds of the powers that be, or rather were.

Now that Joel Embiid is on the court, many believe he will once more start this season.  Should that prove to be the case, Okafor and the team must adapt to the new lineup and demands.

Bench play could benefit Okafor immensely

Many players who end on the bench are those players who struggle offensively. At least relative to the starter.  But Jahlil Okafor is the opposite. He is nowhere near Joel Embiid’s equal on defense.

So imagine this scenario. The Philadelphia 76ers fall behind in a game. The teams begin to rotate players in off their bench. The opponent loses offensive oomph in the process. Do the 76ers? Not exactly. Depending on who comes onto the court with Okafor, the 76ers could have just as much offensive punch.  And if the team can play some defense, that deficit could evaporate rather quickly.