[KingslayerParticipant]

2015/2016 record: 10-72 *Contract values courtesy of Spotrac.

Roster (16/17 salary): Landry ($6.5 mil), Embiid ($4.8 mil), Okafor ($4.8 mil), Noel ($4.4 mil), Stauskas ($3.0 mil), Holmes ($1.0 mil), Covington ($1.0 mil), Grant ($1.0 mil) TOTAL =~ $26.5 million

Notable FA’s & Contract options (16/17 option/ cap hold): TO’s – Marshall, Canaan, McConnell, Thompson. Wood (RFA), Smith (UFA). Saric???

R1 Draft picks (16/17 salary): 1^st, 24^th, 26^th ($8.5 million total)

Total Cap Commitment: = $26.5 + $8.5 = $35.0 million. $57.0 million in projected cap space

Stat to know: Jahlil Okafor finished his rookie year with a team-worst -16.6 net rating. He had the worst offensive rating (92.0), and defensive rating (108.7) among regular rotation players on the team. When Okafor was on the bench, the team had a much better offensive rating (99.6) and defensive rating (105.4), for a net rating of -5.8.

Frontcourt & Outlook: I’ll try to cover all the bases in detail with Philly so this might be a long Lowdown. I’m only going to do a frontcourt section for them, because well, duh… Embiid, Okafor and Noel are all very intriguing young talents. Unfortunately, they all have zero versatility in terms of what positions they can play… Noel has great defensive potential guarding 4’s & 5’s, but his offensive limitations away from the basket make him strictly a C. He was significantly worse last season when forced to share the court with Okafor… Embiid may have some potential to stretch the floor. However, he’s roughly 7’2 & 280 lbs with a potentially dominant low-post repertoire. He’s also strictly a C… Okafor offers even less versatility than the others. He operates exclusively in the post on offense, and doesn’t have the mobility to defend PF’s… The Sixers are obviously aware that it’s a waste of resource to try and build around all 3, and look to be aggressively shopping both Noel & Okafor for a high draft pick or a quality young guard… I don’t want to speculate here on possible trades, rather which of the 3 C’s I think they should trade. I believe they should trade Okafor for several reasons.

1) He’s an absolutely terrible fit next to either Noel or Embiid. When Philly played Okafor and Noel together, their offense was brutal. There’s no spacing whatsoever. Better outside shooting & playmaking from the guards would improve things, but you can’t have 2 completely non-shooting bigs on the floor together and have a successful offense in the modern NBA (especially if Simmons is out there too).

2) Noel and Embiid may fit a lot better together. Joel was a much better college rebounder & rim protector than Jah, and he’s far more mobile defensively. He and Noel have devastating defensive potential together. Embiid’s mobility and potentially more diverse offensive game could also open up the floor a little bit more than Jah when paired with Noel. I still question the offensive upside of a Noel/Embiid duo, just not as much as pairing Okafor with either of them.

3) Okafor is a more valuable asset to trade, and Philly should be able to get better value in return than if they traded Noel.

4) Personally, I’m not very high on Okafor’s potential. The stats speak for themselves (see the “Stat to Know” section above). Don’t get me wrong, I recognize the rare talent and upside he has as a post scorer, and Philly’s struggles had as much to do with its guard-play as anything else. Nevertheless, it’s easy to see why it may be tough to build a winning team around him – No positional versatility, bad defensive rebounder, a defensive liability w/ poor defensive upside, can’t really shoot from even mid-range, 0.5 AST/TO ratio each of the last 2 years. Despite showing vast improvement in his own scoring efficiency as the season went on, Okafor’s on/off court net ratings had the same large discrepancy in January-February as his season long numbers shown above. I don’t mean to pile on about him, but Okafor has a long way to go in many facets of the game and it will take the right types of supporting pieces to be successful with him.

Anyways, moving on…I was pretty high on Holmes & Grant the past 2 drafts, and still really like them as backup forwards. Unfortunately, neither of them are very good shooters – the recurring issue with this team. Covington will continue to have a role under his cheap contract as a forward who can stretch the floor, and Christian Wood may be brought back as a high upside floor spacing PF. Saric will have a prominent role from day 1 if he comes over this year. Ideally forward(s) and/or lower picks would be packaged with Okafor in a trade to net a good draft pick and more shooters & backcourt players.

I can’t finish up without addressing the most important decision of all – Simmons vs. Ingram or wildcard. Considering Ben’s elite physical gifts and rare abilities for a player his size, it’s crazy how divisive Philly fans and .net basketball fans are on the subject. Such is the importance of spacing in the modern NBA game. The 76ers already struggle to space the floor more than any team, which is primarily why they had the league’s worst offense last season. The assumption is they will draft Simmons, significantly compounding that problem. To build around him, a team will need to surround him with knockdown shooters at all positions on the floor, much like Miami and Cleveland have done with Lebron… If Philly drafts Simmons, it will almost be like they are starting over. They will need to trade 2 of those 3 C’s and other forwards on the roster for shooters & guards, and/or draft picks they can use on shooters & guards. Getting fair value in return for 1 of their Centers is proving to be difficult. Doing so in 2 separate trades would be damn-near impossible. IMO, Philly would have to project Simmons as a generational talent capable of leading a team to championships for him to be worth that, especially with a prospect of Ingram’s caliber to fall back on. The issue I have with that projection revolves around Ben’s intangibles. His effort & passivity at times this past season were pathetic for a top player. Does that translate to his drive off the court as well? He has a decent shooting stroke, but still can’t shoot from the outside or mid-range really. Is this lack of development due to not getting enough reps in, not working hard enough? Does he have the drive to work his butt off to become great? These aren’t questions a team wants to be asking with the 1st overall pick. ESPN reported today that Philly is impressed with the 20 lbs of muscle he’s added since the college season ended. I call BS. He may have gained 20 lbs, but no way is that all muscle. My best guess is he’s been coasting to a degree with no team workouts and nothing to prove in the pre-draft process, getting a little out of shape. In the meantime, every other prospect is busting tail to improve their draft stock, potentially closing the gap on Ben to a small degree.

 

I love Simmons’ tools, and think he has the potential to be a 2-way terror in the NBA in the form of a poor-man’s Lebron James (which would still be insanely good). However, I fear for Philly fans if they draft Simmons. It will be a long road to contention even if he proves the doubters wrong about him. If the concerns prove to be true, the dark era could continue in Philadelphia for some time.

[KingslayerParticipant]

Btw, I’m probably only going to do like 3-5 more of these before the draft (which will include Boston & Chicago). Let me know if there are any requests for teams that haven’t been covered yet.

[gabriel_akvaParticipant]

 Denver and Milwaukee

[gabriel_akvaParticipant]

 Denver and Milwaukee

[tblazer_NZParticipant]

Portland please.

[tblazer_NZParticipant]

Portland please.

[KingslayerParticipant]

Btw, I’m probably only going to do like 3-5 more of these before the draft (which will include Boston & Chicago). Let me know if there are any requests for teams that haven’t been covered yet.

[220Participant]

 Kingslayer I agree with you overall, but 10 win teams should start over because unless they have significant injuries to multiple players, a 10 win team is a bad team. I’d say the 76ers current direction drafting 3 centers, two of which would likely be offensive focal points, would already require them acquiring multiple shooters so no real change there. At least one of their three centers had to go already and the 76ers would be smart to hang onto one of the healthy centers until it’s clear how good Joel Embiid is and if he’ll be able to stay healthy.

[220Participant]

 Kingslayer I agree with you overall, but 10 win teams should start over because unless they have significant injuries to multiple players, a 10 win team is a bad team. I’d say the 76ers current direction drafting 3 centers, two of which would likely be offensive focal points, would already require them acquiring multiple shooters so no real change there. At least one of their three centers had to go already and the 76ers would be smart to hang onto one of the healthy centers until it’s clear how good Joel Embiid is and if he’ll be able to stay healthy.

[NBAjunkie81Participant]

 good rotation guy……..

But Okafor & Noel rarely Ever played together in Phila………. They played together in game 1 & Noel was hurt in game 2 & did not return for 4 months……… the 2 – 7 footers Combined for 40 points & 20 rebounds in that Game 1 & tore Boston’s front line apart…….. but they really Never played together again……

Okafor was then hurt in game 55 & did not return………. they played about a dozen games together & the coach Never put them on the floor at the same time………..

In addition, the Sixers roster was The worst in the History of the NBA……. I challenge Anyone to show me a Worse, less experienced roster………

Colangelo brought in Elton Brand & Ish Smith & Carl Landry was activated after Jan 1st………. but the first half of the season the Sixers roster consisted of: Paul Pressy, Isaiah Canaan, TJ McConnell, Isaiah Canaan, Hollis Thompson, JaKaar Smapson, Bob Covington, Jerami Grant, Chistian Woods, Richaun Holmes & Okafor (I left Noel off b/c he was out w/ the injury)…………

I don’t know How any statitical analysis has Any Value when judging Okafor w/ That collection of Garbage…….. 4 Rookies, 2 – 2nd year guys, a few 3rd year guys & Paul Pressy – a 10 day contract guy was the Veteran at 24! entering his 5th season……….

Think about this – Ish Smith was a MASSIVE Upgrade & he Averaged 15 shots a game at PG…….. Ish Smith does Not even get on the floor for almost Any other NBA team………. & on that Roster I listed I would Wager that Only Okafor & Jerami Grant make another NBA Roster………… Absolutely Criminal to put that Drek on the floor……….

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hype Machine]

I dunno Junkie…the stats clearly show that Okafor killed them more than anyone else offensively and defensively. Its hard to pin that on anyone else.

Once hes gone…are 76ers still going to respect his game as much as right now?

Seems to me like Philly fans are caught between desperately wanting to offload him and overhypping his trade value so they can swindle any team that doesnt look at advanced stats. 

 

 

  

 

 

 

[Hype Machine]

I dunno Junkie…the stats clearly show that Okafor killed them more than anyone else offensively and defensively. Its hard to pin that on anyone else.

Once hes gone…are 76ers still going to respect his game as much as right now?

Seems to me like Philly fans are caught between desperately wanting to offload him and overhypping his trade value so they can swindle any team that doesnt look at advanced stats. 

 

 

  

 

 

 

[220Participant]

 I’m not sure where you’re getting your info, but Nerlens wasn’t hurt in the second game of the season resulting him to miss four months. He played in 67 games this year and if he was out four months he would have missed significantly more games.

[220Participant]

 I’m not sure where you’re getting your info, but Nerlens wasn’t hurt in the second game of the season resulting him to miss four months. He played in 67 games this year and if he was out four months he would have missed significantly more games.

[NBAjunkie81Participant]

 good rotation guy……..

But Okafor & Noel rarely Ever played together in Phila………. They played together in game 1 & Noel was hurt in game 2 & did not return for 4 months……… the 2 – 7 footers Combined for 40 points & 20 rebounds in that Game 1 & tore Boston’s front line apart…….. but they really Never played together again……

Okafor was then hurt in game 55 & did not return………. they played about a dozen games together & the coach Never put them on the floor at the same time………..

In addition, the Sixers roster was The worst in the History of the NBA……. I challenge Anyone to show me a Worse, less experienced roster………

Colangelo brought in Elton Brand & Ish Smith & Carl Landry was activated after Jan 1st………. but the first half of the season the Sixers roster consisted of: Paul Pressy, Isaiah Canaan, TJ McConnell, Isaiah Canaan, Hollis Thompson, JaKaar Smapson, Bob Covington, Jerami Grant, Chistian Woods, Richaun Holmes & Okafor (I left Noel off b/c he was out w/ the injury)…………

I don’t know How any statitical analysis has Any Value when judging Okafor w/ That collection of Garbage…….. 4 Rookies, 2 – 2nd year guys, a few 3rd year guys & Paul Pressy – a 10 day contract guy was the Veteran at 24! entering his 5th season……….

Think about this – Ish Smith was a MASSIVE Upgrade & he Averaged 15 shots a game at PG…….. Ish Smith does Not even get on the floor for almost Any other NBA team………. & on that Roster I listed I would Wager that Only Okafor & Jerami Grant make another NBA Roster………… Absolutely Criminal to put that Drek on the floor……….

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NBAjunkie81Participant]

 the line up the whole 1st half of the year………. He was no where close to 100% ……… He missed 15 games but he would play 30 min, than 20 than miss a game……….

& that cycle continued the whole 1st half of the year……… When he was finally healthy, the coach would Not play Okafor & Noel together……..

until finally the fan base went so crazy he was Forced to play them together about 8 games & then Okafor went out for the year…….

But even in the games Brown finally played them together he would have Canaan, Covington & Ish Smith take 45 shots per game……

My point is that Judging Okafor on a 55 game sample w/ that Historically bad roster where he was used improperly…….. is Not valuable statistical analysis……… When Okafor played w/ the All Star Rookie team he looked Fantastic…….. I’m not saying he is perfect…..

 I’m just saying he is Not getting a fair shake & part of it is b/c the National press WANTED to hammer Hinkie & get him Out of there…..

 & there is No quicker way to run a GM out of town than convincing the fan base that he dropped the ball on Draft day……….. 

 

 

 

[NBAjunkie81Participant]

 the line up the whole 1st half of the year………. He was no where close to 100% ……… He missed 15 games but he would play 30 min, than 20 than miss a game……….

& that cycle continued the whole 1st half of the year……… When he was finally healthy, the coach would Not play Okafor & Noel together……..

until finally the fan base went so crazy he was Forced to play them together about 8 games & then Okafor went out for the year…….

But even in the games Brown finally played them together he would have Canaan, Covington & Ish Smith take 45 shots per game……

My point is that Judging Okafor on a 55 game sample w/ that Historically bad roster where he was used improperly…….. is Not valuable statistical analysis……… When Okafor played w/ the All Star Rookie team he looked Fantastic…….. I’m not saying he is perfect…..

 I’m just saying he is Not getting a fair shake & part of it is b/c the National press WANTED to hammer Hinkie & get him Out of there…..

 & there is No quicker way to run a GM out of town than convincing the fan base that he dropped the ball on Draft day……….. 

 

 

 

[220Participant]

 Nerlens was banged up and did have minute restrictions quite often while missing a game from time to time. I just wanted to point out he wasn’t actually out for 4 months after the second game.

I think any decision makers understand that Jahlil Okafor’s stats would be different on a better team. He played for a horrible team in last year’s 76ers.

 

[220Participant]

 Nerlens was banged up and did have minute restrictions quite often while missing a game from time to time. I just wanted to point out he wasn’t actually out for 4 months after the second game.

I think any decision makers understand that Jahlil Okafor’s stats would be different on a better team. He played for a horrible team in last year’s 76ers.

 

[Author]

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