Philadelphia 76ers: Noel and Okafor Pairing Can Still Work

By George Kondoleon | Sep 27, 2016

Dec 1, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) and center Jahlil Okafor (8) celebrate a score against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The 76ers won 103-91. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor have been put in Philadelphia 76ers trade rumors because of their inability to perform on the court together last season. To give up on them now is premature.

The debate has always been Nerlens Noel vs. Jahlil Okafor. The Philadelphia 76ers have been pinned into a metaphorical corner that if they can’t trade one of them sooner than later, they will lose any remaining value of trading one of the big men. Instead of debating on who the team should keep, we should be talking about how they can improve on on-court coexistence.

The duo has spent 695 minutes together on the court. That translates to to roughly 14 and a half games. We’ve assessed that the pair is a lost cause while seeing them play in what has been less than one fifth of an NBA season.

It’s not like they’ve giving the NBA world much hope. Together the duo has slowed down the offense and struggled to secure rebounds compared to the rest of the two man lineups. The major problem between the two came on the defensive side, however.

Noel’s transition to defending power forwards along the outside proved to bee more of a hinderance than a positive. Not only was Noel’s best ability compromised, but he also struggled to guard perimeter shooting. Moving Noel from the low block took away any intimidation of shot blocking as opponents freely drove to the hoop on a less able Okafor.

Noel’s shakiness on the outside not only downgrades his defensive abilities but drags down the entire lineup’s already bad ability to prevent points. The shift to forward failed, and the two were staggered during games until Okafor made his transition to forward.

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Offensively, this had every potential of working. Okafor’s surprising mid-range performance brought in a factor that could have played into the Philadelphia 76ers’ advantage. The set up of these shots usually came off the dribble, however.

Okafor’s defense has been the center of attention. His low post defense was somewhat defense at times, but he shows no promise of being able to guard outside-able forwards. Okafor has shed some weight, however, so that may help his slow-footedness.

The problems have been stated, but there’s easy ways to fix it with realistic development between the two. Noel wouldn’t have to adapt his game. His offense can still be his weakness as long as his field goal attempts are minimized to shots at the rim. This role is what sprung Tyson Chandler to success while mitigating his less than favorable abilities down low.

Noel must improve his screening ability slightly, although it’s not a major deficiency. His two-man game pick and roll game with Ben Simmons should allow for easy looks at the basket. Okafor’s newfound jump shot can give him open opportunities if he is positioned along the outside.

Here, you see Noel on the drive. Watch Okafor in the bottom left of the screen. He has all the space in the world. Now if he positions himself more towards the mid-range, he can give himself a good mid-range opportunity while also allowing space for Noel to drive. This play should be the shining light for the Philadelphia 76ers on hope the duo will work.

The screen game is important for Okafor off the ball and off the screen. If his pick and pop game can evolve, then the duo can thrive. Okafor’s screen setting really is the key to him becoming a more well-rounded offensive player, and is the most important factor in Noel and him working as a pair. A strong Okafor screen followed by a pop to mid-range space gives Noel room down low and Simmons space to drive.

Offensively, the duo can work towards better spacing with ease. Okafor must sharpen his off-ball awareness, giving him both space and open opportunities from comfortable range. Defensively, there must be a commitment to team defensive rotation.

…if [Okafor] positions himself more towards the mid-range, he can give himself a good mid-range opportunity while also allowing space for Noel to drive.

Okafor defending the outside will tend to lead to a lot of open baseline drives. This would theoretically drag Noel towards defending the drive, leaving a man open down low. The way to mitigate this is by sending a guard towards Okafor’s assignment, allowing Okafor to focus on guarding the baseline. This would mean the other guard would rotate towards the Okafor help. Leaving someone open on the opposite wing, forcing Noel to guard that wing on a quick pass.

This rotation once again leaves Noel’s man open down low, but allows Okafor to rotate back to Noel’s man. It’s not ideal, as Noel would be once again dragged out of the paint, but with quick switches it reduces the ease of opponent’s shots.

Defensively, the success lies in the development of Okafor’s quickness. It may be a long shot, but it’s not a total fallacy. Offensively, the roots of success are already there but the two must sharpen small problems in their game.

The Noel grievance-airing that came on Sunday was discouraging. Mainly because the duo still shines a glimmer of hope for success. It seems like after 14 games-worth of minutes is enough to dismiss Okafor as an ideal pairing. It’s either Noel doesn’t want to play alongside Okafor because he believes he can flourish more without him, or that he honestly believes the duo won’t work towards the success of the Philadelphia 76ers.

"“I think at the end of the day, again, you have three starting-caliber centers. And it’s just not going to work to anybody’s advantage having that on the same team. That’s how I’m looking at it. I’m not opposed to anything, but things need to be situated.” – Noel (via philly.com)"

Either way, he will continue to see playing time next to Okafor. The trade market for a big man, for both defensive studs and low-post scorers, is so very small at this point that it would be tough to get a fair value trade this season. Noel’s best shot at “freedom” from the three center logjam will come after this season, which is the last year of his rookie contract.

Next: Noel Numbering His Own Days

Noel’s restricted free agency doesn’t play to his favor, but continuing to question the performance of management is a good way of self-sabotaging to look for other opportunities. The duo of Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor still have potential, but are the two willing to adjust to each other?