Of the few concerns following Jahlil Okafor to Philadelphia, the most detrimental in a long-term sense is the varied belief that Okafor’s paint imposing style is one of the past. He’s a 6’11”, 270-pound dinosaur in the digital age, where a small-ball formula just earned the Golden State Warriors an NBA Championship, convincing the rest of the basketball world that versatile stretch-forwards serve as the new big men in smaller, mismatch-coercing lineups.
This isn’t the consensus belief. Not in Philadelphia, and certainly not in the mind of the 19-year-old Okafor, who voiced these sentiments during the Sixers introductory press conference.
"“When I got to Duke, I was the leading scorer and it was the same thing, ‘You don’t need a big man.’… for as long as I can remember, big men have dominated the NBA,”ALSO ON HOOPSHABIT: Every NBA Team’s Mount Rushmore“Tim Duncan won it (2014),” Okafor assuredly told reporters. “Then Pau Gasol (2010 and 2009) and Kevin Garnett (2008). People get a little excited, because what Steph Curry and those guys did was great, and it worked, and their formula was fantastic. But for as long as I can remember, big men have been dominant and the result has been NBA championships.”"
General manager Sam Hinkie’s draft day decisions loudly echo Okafor’s remarks. In each of the last three drafts, the Sixers’ prized possession has been a highly coveted center, with Philly obtaining Nerlens Noel in 2013, Joel Embiid in 2014 and Okafor in 2015. With Okafor and Noel appearing to be the locks down low with the possibility of Embiid joining in on the fun at some point within the next year or two, the Sixers’ foundation seems to be set with their tremendously talented frontcourt.
But is that frontcourt foundation outdated for an NBA that many believe will continue transitioning towards the small-ball blueprint?
When you consider the current NBA landscape, the answer is no.
With the lone exception of the defending champion Warriors, every single NBA team still has what would be considered a traditional makeup down low. Of course, numerous teams have more versatile options in the paint. New Orleans boasts Anthony Davis. The Clippers feature Blake Griffin, while Chris Bosh fills that role for the Miami Heat. There are a handful of others that are more than your traditional bruisers and rebounders that can stretch the floor and knock down jumpers. But regardless of the talent level of the team or the big men themselves, Golden State’s path is clearly the lone example of small-ball success.
The same can be said for last season’s playoffs. Should the health situations of the San Antonio Spurs or Cleveland Cavaliers been different, the conversation of smaller, more versatile lineups may have never gained any steam. Of course, “should have, could have” doesn’t matter.
Just as Okafor noted, the Warriors’ formula worked, but to assume that one team with the NBA’s MVP at point guard, arguably the best shooting backcourt in NBA history, tremendous chemistry and selflessness, along with a nearly perfect bill of health will become the norm is quite a stretch, and rather premature with such a minute sample size.
Depending on whom you ask, the San Antonio Spurs became the favorite to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals after the free agent acquisition of power forward LaMarcus Aldridge.
The near consensus pick out of the Eastern Conference is LeBron James’ Cavaliers. This would mean a matchup of 6-11 Aldridge and 6-11 Tim Duncan against 7-1 Timofey Mozgov and 6-10 Kevin Love, with the victor becoming NBA champs.
Although the Sixers are a handful of years (at the very least) from joining the conversation of legitimate title contenders, their rebuild is following a blueprint that has proven to work and will likely continue to work. The NBA transitions in waves, in regards to which position is on top. The NBA is abundant with skilled guards and stretch-forwards at the moment, but in two to three years, there will be no shortage of dominant big men. This list will likely include Okafor, Embiid if he can ever regain his health, Nikola Vucevic, DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gobert, Andre Drummond, DeAndre Jordan, along with a slew of talented low post prospects soon to enter college.
The concern when discussing the Sixers frontcourt and the reality that they’ve missed out on some exceptionally talented guards and forwards while stockpiling big men stems from thinking that Noel and Okafor will never be able to contribute offensively outside of eight to 10 feet. But this is far from the case.
Noel’s offensive game is a work in progress, but with Noel’s ability to run the floor as well as any big in the league, and with the strides he took last season connecting from mid-range, there’s plenty of hope that he won’t be a statue his entire career.
As for Okafor; head coach Brett Brown sees the rookie center as much more than a brute mass constricted to half-court situations, via Philly.com.
“His presence places a real clarity what to do when it becomes a slow-down game,” said Brown, his voice rising with giddy anticipation. “But I think there’s a lot more in him than just a horse in the post. To only use him that way, I think, is a disservice to his future. I think how Stan Van Gundy used Dwight Howard and pick-and-rolled him in the post. I watch his nimble footwork, the mobile side. I think he can get out and run. You’ve heard me say many times: My world is pace, space and pass. We want to continue to run.”
With Okafor and Noel at his service, Brown envisions what could become a poor man’s modern day David Robinson-Tim Duncan duo of his own in Philadelphia.
“I think, in general, it’s both puzzling and most definitely exciting. Had I not worked a long time ago with Tim [Duncan] and David [Robinson] in San Antonio, you would be more confused and not see it as clear as I do.”
Philly isn’t just stocking up on big men. They’re stocking up on potential superstars and franchise changers. Had Noel and Embiid not been injured, and had Okafor not been plagued with defensive concerns, each of the three would have likely gone No. 1 overall in their respective draft classes. And since star-caliber big men are at such a premium in the NBA at the moment, this is a trend that will likely continue.
Once the Sixers surround their big men with the appropriate pieces and the win column reflects the development put forth by Brown and his staff, the win column will reflect “the process” and the belief that Philly is building an outdated foundation will fade.
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