By Cliff Jackson, Sports Talk Philly Staff Writer 
Jahlil Okafor could be the big man on the outs in Philly…
We're almost midway through the NBA season and surprisingly, the Philadelphia 76ers still have all of their big men on the roster. Bryan Colangelo, in a meeting with the media last month, said that he hasn't actively shopped any of the centers, primarily because of their health heading into the season. Jahlil Okafor was recovering from surgery, Joel Embiid was entering his first healthy season and Nerlens Noel got hurt in preseason game one. Colangelo made it clear he wouldn't make a deal just to part ways with a center, even though Noel voiced his displeasure with the situation at the beginning of the season and once again when he returned from injury. There's still a chance that Philadelphia ends the season with all three centers on their roster, and that's not including Richaun Holmes.
Recently, the Sixers have been experimenting to see which of the two big men pair well with Joel Embiid. The team went 1-5 in games started by both Embiid and Okafor, so for the last two games, Nerlens Noel has been the primary backup and Okafor hasn't played a single. As fans, we are left to assume that which ever big man does not pair well with Embiid will be the big man that is traded. If that is the case then it's fairly clear that Jahlil Okafor will be the odd man out in Philadelphia.
You would think that two big men with soft touches around the rim and one with the ability to shoot three pointers at an efficient clip would be a tough team to guard, but it hasn't quite worked out that way. Okafor is averaging 10.7 points per game and 4.8 rebounds primarily as a backup this season, not exactly what you want out of the former 3rd overall pick who specializes in offense.
While there is a slight problem on the offense end of the floor with virtually no spacing, the real problem comes on the defensive end of the floor. Joel Embiid is a good on ball defender and defensive rim protector while Jahlil Okafor is not a good defender at all. Okafor struggles when put in pick and roll defensive situations which almost always leaves Embiid in help position. Embid usually has to help Okafor and then try to get back to his man leaving him running from the perimeter then back to the paint. With the two paired in the front court, the Sixers have given up an average of 122.3 points per 100 possessions. Opposing teams shoot 50.5 percent from the field and 48.8 percent from the three-point line against lineups that have paired Embiid and Okafor together. On top of the defensive woes, Okafor is at best an average rebounder for his size. He didn't exactly improve when paired with Embiid on the court. The team only grabbed 73.8 percent of their available defensive rebounds.
The reason I say Okafor could be on the outs in Philly is because recently Brett Brown has played Nerlens more to experiment and it has worked out positively. Albeit Nerlens and Joel have only played short stints together, but Noel's production when he is on the floor without Embiid has been better than Okafor's. In 2017, the Sixers are 4-1 and statistically, they rank as the best defensive team in the Eastern Conference since December 1st. It is to note that the past two games against the Celtics and Nets, Jahlil Okafor has not logged a single minute. This is most likely due to Brett Brown experimenting just like he did with Noel sitting the bench. Noel, with his athleticism, is a considerably better rim protector and on ball defender than Okafor. When Embiid leaves the floor and Nerlens comes into the game, the Sixers are not losing as much on defense as they would if it was Jahlil checking in for Embiid.
The contractual side of things could play a part in who stays and who goes as well. Even if the team would like to keep Noel and offer him a substantial deal as a restricted free-agent, Okafor is still under contract for another two seasons. They'd have to find a suitor for the former Duke product to rinse their hands of this big man surplus.
If the team keeps getting wins, I don't know if we will see much more of Jahlil Okafor with this roster, especially with the trade deadline around the corner. If the Sixers continue their run of consistency and continue to close out games without Okafor in the lineup, then there is no need for him to be here anymore. His numbers already do not help his situation and Nerlens Noel is just out playing him. It also doesn't help Okafor's situation that Embiid has come out and said that Nerlens is his best friend on the team and the two could be special together defensively.
For now, the team is playing well and it does not look good for Jahlil Okafor.
